What Happens In Asgard
by Bombshell1701
Summary: The Avengers are summoned to Asgard for Loki's trial. New friendships are made and old ones tested, and Loki must face some hard truths about his life. Guest starring Nick Fury and pretty much everyone in Asgard! Multi-chaptered series from various points of view. Rated T for mature concepts, M for some chapters. Authors notes at the end of some chapters. Feedback appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

**What Happens In Asgard**

**Chapter One**

"This was a really nice idea. Thanks, Tony" Steve said.

"Don't mention it. I never did get around to having a proper housewarming party before the place got trashed, so I guess it makes sense to have one now it's fixed."

"Well, you're brave to invite the people who basically trashed it" Bruce said casually, and Tony laughed.

"Well,_ you're_ the one who did the primary trashing, if I remember correctly" Tony told him.

"It was worth it" Bruce said with a nod and a tiny smile.

"Can we re-watch the surveillance footage of Hulk putting the smackdown on Loki?" Clint asked. "Because that's never getting less funny."

"Actually, I like the part where Loki defenestrated Tony" Natasha said.

Clint laughed. "_Defenestrated_. That's gotta be the word of the day."

Tony shuddered and Natasha smirked at him.

"In my defence, Thor also tore the place up. A little" Bruce volunteered, and his fellow Avengers groaned.

"Deluded! You're deluding yourself, Banner" Tony told the other scientist.

Tony turned to make a smart comment to Steve, but stopped when he noticed the way the blonde man was staring curiously out the window. Tony broke off and followed his eye line.

On the terrace was a huge, glossy black bird. It appeared to be staring at them through the window. In its beak it held what looked like a thick piece of paper. When Tony looked at it, it hopped over to the window and tapped its beak gently on the glass.

"Is anyone else seeing that?" Tony asked, "Or do I need to lay off the Ketel One?"

Everyone turned to look at the bird, and it peered beadily at them in return.

"That has got to be the biggest crow I've ever seen" Bruce commented.

"It's not a crow, it's a raven" Natasha told them.

Clint looked sceptically at her "How can you even tell?"

Natasha shrugged.

"What has it got in its beak?" Steve wondered.

"Looks like it's been raiding the trash somewhere" Bruce noted.

Under their scrutiny, the raven began to tap its beak more enthusiastically again the window.

"I think it wants to come in" Steve said.

"Uh, no" Tony said, annoyed. "I just got this place cleaned up; I don't need bird crap all over everywhere!"

Natasha stood and sauntered over to the window. The raven looked up at her, and hopped up and down on the spot. She pressed a button on a panel text to the door, and the terrace door slid open. The raven trotted into the room, and continued to stare at the men. Then it launched itself into the air and swooped around the room.

"Why did you do that?" Tony cried. "I don't trust birds- they're pointy at both ends!"

He watched the bird warily. "Nevermore!" he told it harshly.

Suddenly it swooped down, and dropped the paper in its beak squarely onto Clint's lap. Then it landed on the table in front of him, cawed loudly once, and took wing again, sweeping from the building.

"Eat my shorts!" Tony called after it.

Everyone turned to stare at Clint. He was sitting stock-still, staring at the paper in his lap.

"Well, congratulations, Barton. Looks like you finally got your letter from Hogwarts" Tony said cheerfully. He stepped closer to Clint to look at the paper.

"It's an envelope" Bruce commented.

"An envelope with Clint's name _written_ on it" Natasha said warily.

"Delivered by a raven?" Steve said with a touch on incredulity.

"I'm guessing Asgard? Anyone else thinking that?" Tony suggested.

Clint continued to stare down at the letter, not moving.

"Are you going to open it?" Bruce asked.

"We should probably get it tested first for... I don't even know..." Natasha trailed off.

"I don't think it's going to be explosive or anything" Steve commented.

"Depends _who_ in Asgard it's from" Clint said quietly.

"Does it look like Thor's handwriting?" Tony asked. "We don't hear from the guy at all for weeks, then he goes and writes Barton a love-letter. I'm a little jealous!"

Clint gave him a disgruntled look.

"Well, at least the bird didn't crap on your head" Tony told him.

"Do you want me to?-" Steve asked, gesturing to the letter.

Clint sighed "I don't want to touch it."

Steve nodded and reached for the envelope.

"Careful, Cap, we don't know what is" Natasha warned.

"JARVIS, please analyse the envelope and its contents" Tony called.

A moment later the A.I. beeped. "The composition of the envelope, and the material within, is animal parchment, plant-derived glue and ink. Its provenance, however, is not of Earth."

"So. Asgard it is" Natasha said.

Clint finally picked up the letter, studied the fine penmanship that had written his name on the front, then turned it over and gingerly thumbed it open. It contained a single thick sheet of yellowed parchment.

He pulled it out and unfolded it to read.  
His fellow Avengers watched him with baited breath, none of them saying a word.  
He read through the letter twice, paused to contemplate its contents, and then threw the letter onto the table for the others to read.

_**Meanwhile, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean...**_

Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD, decided to go another lap of the upper hangar deck.

He dragged in a slow breath of chilly air, his eye on the horizon as he jogged. A dark blur at the edge of his vision intruded upon his concentration, and he glanced up without slowing.

A large black bird was flapping its wings lazily, seeming to keep pace with him. He stared up at it as he ran, pondering where the creature had come from; the Helicarrier was far out to sea, and not even gulls were dumb enough to stray this far from land.

He glanced across the deck. Several techs had stopped their duties and were staring at the bird. Fury sighed and slowed his pace. As he did, the glossy bird glided towards the ground and landed gently before him.

Fury's brow furrowed as he noted the paper in the bird's beak. His frown only deepened as the bird stepped forward and laid the paper- _an envelope?_ - at his feet.

It stared up at him imperiously, cawed, and took wing again. Fury silently watched it disappear into the horizon. He reached up and tapped his comm unit.

Forty-five minutes later, the SHEILD threat assessment team had cleared the envelope.

Fury picked it up and tore it open.

… … … … … … ...

_**You are summoned forthwith **_

_**to the realm of **_

_**Asgard **_

_**by**_

_**Odin**_

_**High King,**_

_**to bear witness at the trial of**_

_**Loki Laufeyson**_

_**for his crimes against the peoples of Midgard.**_

_**You must present yourself to the**_

_**gatekeeper Heimdall**_

_**at the Bifrost site**_

_**the first day of the new month.**_

_**Go in peace.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**What Happens In Asgard**

**Chapter Two**

"Yeah, no thanks" Clint said with a bitter smile.

Tony stared at him, pouting. "How come you get invited to Asgard and we don't?"

"Tony, have a little tact, would you?" Steve chided.

"No" Tony said petulantly. "We were there, too, we all went toe-to-toe with Loki and his merry band of intergalactic freaks, so, I want to know... where's our invitation?"

Clint picked up the parchment and flicked it at the darker man "You wanna go to Asgard, be my guest. Happy for you to go in my place." He stood and strode from the room. Natasha calmly followed him, shooting Tony a fiery look as she went.

Steve gave Tony a reproachful look while Bruce looked thoughtful.

"What?" Tony said defensively. "I'm just saying that if one of us goes, all of us should go. Not fair otherwise."

"It's not about what's fair, Tony!" Steve lectured. "It's about what's right. If we went, it would be as a _team,_" Steve emphasised. "We would be going in support of our teammate."

"Exactly!" Tony cried. "To support our... friend. Our colleague, watch his back... what _you_ said" Tony elaborated.

"For our _teammate_. Not so you can be a lookie-loo" Steve warned.

"It's kind-of a moot point anyway, because we weren't invited," Bruce said with a shrug. "The invitation was addressed to Clint."

"Yeah, well it's not like we haven't crashed a party before" Tony said casually.

"This may not be the kind of party you want to crash" Bruce warned him.

"Are you kidding?" Tony breathed. "This is a chance to go to another planet... another _realm._ I mean, admittedly, I kinda did that already, when I went up through the portal with the nuke, and there was the whole almost-dying thing, oh, did I mention that? You think that would get me an invite to the courts of the other gods... but _no_..." Tony rambled.

Steve shivered almost imperceptibly, and Bruce eyed him kindly. "You... think you're up to it, if it comes down to us actually going?"

Steve shrugged slightly and avoided their eyes. "Can't be any weirder than aliens attacking New York, right?"

Tony grinned "_We're all going to Asgard_, _we're all going to Asgard_" he sang, bouncing up and down on his seat like a toddler.

Bruce and Steve sighed.

… … … …

"_Hissy fit_ isn't a good colour on you, Barton" Natasha said eventually.

Clint ignored her and continued sharpening the knife on the whetstone. His movements were methodical, controlled; Natasha fell silent again and let him work quietly until some of the tension finally left his shoulders.

"At least I didn't burst into tears" he joked.

"That would have been ugly" Natasha said lightly.

He cleaned and wrapped the knives and stone, and wiped his hands on a towel, settling on the opposite end of the couch Natasha was sprawled upon. They studied each other silently for a moment.

"It may be closure for you, Clint."

"I don't need closure" Clint muttered. "_I don't_" he reiterated, seeing the look Natasha was fixing him with.

"I can just about sleep at night again. Not a sound sleep, but better that it was. I go up there to Asgard, jump through all their hoops, then what? I don't need all that shit dredged up again. I'm dealing with it."

"Why do you assume they'll make you jump through hoops?"

Clint gave Natasha a sceptical look "Have you seen the way they dress? They're into hoopla, trust me."

Natasha shrugged.

"What the hell do they even want me for?" Clint hissed.

"Some kind of prosecution witness again Loki, I guess."

"Well, they could have their pick. It's not like I'm the only person he damaged. He did a lot worse to a lot of other people. At least I'm-" he broke off, eyes deeply troubled. He swallowed hard. "At least I'm alive. I can still function. You know, they should call Dr Selvig up as a witness. Loki good as destroyed him." Clint shook his head.

"If you don't want to go, Clint, no-one will make you. If they come here looking for you, they'll have to get through me-"

"Tasha-" Clint murmured.

Natasha glared at him. "I've got your back. Here or there, I'm on your side. But you need to think about this... They called you because you're strong. Because you can stand up there, and look them all in the eye, and tell them exactly what that little bastard did. There are a lot of people who can't do that. So if you can't- if you _won't_ speak for yourself... speak up for the people who have no voice."

Clint stared at her, speechless. He knew his hands were trembling, and he wrung the towel fiercely in an attempt to hide it. Natasha swallowed a lump in her throat and slid down the couch to sit next to her best friend, stilling his hands with her own.

… … … …

Clint didn't realise he'd finally drifted into an uneasy sleep until he found himself waking. A soft but determined tapping seemed to be what had roused him. He blinked and stretched, and pushed himself into a sitting position.

He looked out of the window to notice that dawn was breaking over the city, but before he could glance at his wristwatch, his gaze was caught by the raven on the window ledge, holding another envelope in its shiny beak.

"You again?" he murmured.

As soon as it was noticed, the bird became more determined, and tapped harder on the window.

"Aren't you supposed to do the _tapping _and _rapping_ at my _chamber door_?" Clint muttered as he stood.

The bird eyed him, and turned, waddling over determinedly to the balcony door, where it proceeded to tap again with its beak.

Clint stopped and looked at it. "I really don't know what to make of _that_" he muttered, unlocking the door and permitting the bird to enter.

It swooped into the air and took a turn about the room. Without really thinking about what he was doing, Clint raised his forearm, and bent his arm slightly at the elbow. A moment later the bird lit upon his outstretched arm, and brandished the letter in its beak at him.

He reached up with his spare hand and gently took the parchment. He and the bird studied each other silently for a moment.

"Uh... good bird? Polly wanna cracker?" Clint said uncertainly.

The raven cawed, clearly offended, and pushed roughly off Clint's arm, sweeping out the terrace door.

Clint considered the new letter in his hand. Again it was addressed to him, though this time the penmanship was considerably less elegant.

"JARVIS?" he called uncertainly- he always felt like a jerk _talking _to the _building_.

"Good morning, Agent Barton. Would you like me to scan the letter you are currently holding?" JARVIS asked.

"Yes please" Clint asked. "And can you switch on the coffee machine? I think it's going to be a twelve cup day."

"I have already done so" the A.I. answered neatly. After a moment JARVIS beeped.

"This letter is the exact same composition and provenance as the previous letter."

"Thanks" Clint muttered. With a heavy sigh he climbed back into bed, and then opened the letter.

_Friend Barton,_

_I hope this letter finds you well, and healing from the hurt my brother inflicted upon you. _

_I apologise to you and the rest of our team for not having been in contact sooner. It has been a difficult time in Asgard. We have been busy fortifying our realm and preparing for attack from Loki's thwarted allies, whom he is certain will come for both him and the Tesseract. _

_As we wait for the glory of a new battle, and the chance to once again prove ourselves mighty warriors, it has been decided by my father and his brothers that Loki must stand trial for the harm he brought to Midgard. _

_This is why you have been summoned, along with Director Fury of your organisation, SHIELD. You will be required to speak as witnesses against my brother. _

_I know this is a burden upon you, and I wish I could have made this request of you myself, and in person. _

_Using the Tesseract, my father has been able to repair the Bifrost, and the time has now come for Loki to face judgement and punishment. I only just now discovered that my father had already sent his summons to you. _

_The manner of Loki's trial, and your part in it will be explained more clearly when you arrive. The trial will be brief and to the point- that is the Asgardian way. _

_You are welcome to take your ease in Asgard as long as you care to, and as a guest of our family, your every need will be seen to._

_I look forward to meeting with you again, though I wish it were under more glorious circumstances. It is the hope of my father, and indeed, my hope too, that Loki's judgement and punishment will help heal whatever wounds you carry._

_I have witnessed your strength and determination first hand, and have no doubt that you will rise above the injuries to your soul._

_Until we meet again, _

_You will find me ever your friend and fellow _Avenger_, _

_Thor_

… … … …

Author's Notes: Hey there! Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the second chapter of what is a pretty big series. I didn't come in with any author's notes at the end of chapter one, because I didn't want to break the scene-setting.

If you're not familiar with Norse mythology, the ravens are Huginn and Muninn (_Thought_ and _Memory_) -Odin's messengers. And thanks to Edgar Allen Poe and The Simpsons for those various quotes!

Disclaimer: Author owns nothing, and makes nothing from writing fic, which is why feedback is love. Getting some lovely comments already, thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

**What Happens In Asgard**

**Chapter Three**

Fury fixed Tony with a hard look "You're not taking the suit, Stark."

"My suit. I'll do as I please, thank you very much" Tony retorted.

"It's not going to work in Asgard" Natasha drawled.

"Why not?" Tony demanded.

"Magic, dumbass" Natasha told him.

"Oh really? Worked just fine when I was taking on Loki, and Thor, for that matter. I'm pretty sure my Muggle technology works just fine around magic."

"Asgard is a different... _realm,_" Steve pointed out. "You'll be surrounded by magic. What then?"

Tony looked thoughtful.

"I say let him wear it. Then when it malfunctions on Asgard and he's stuck in it..." Natasha said, smirking.

"We could always ask Thor to panel-beat it off him with his hammer" Clint said archly.

Tony narrowed his eyes as Clint. The other man simply raised his eyebrows.

"No suit, Tony." Steve reiterated.

"Oh, c'mon! The Asgardians wear armour, Thor's folks are going to _love_ that I made the effort to dress the part- unlike you clowns in your spandex catsuits."

Steve shook his head. "We may not even be allowed into Asgard, we don't want to push our collective luck."

"You're not the boss of me" Tony muttered.

"Yes, I am" Steve said under his breath. Tony made a face at him.

"So... what's the plan with that? The _getting us into Asgard _part?" Bruce asked.

Fury shrugged. "There is no plan. We just all turn up at the Bifrost site and ask nicely. I'm assuming Thor will be there to greet us- hopefully he'll make a case for us being there."

"It would be so much easier if we could just email him, let him know we're _all_ coming" Steve said thoughtfully.

Tony rolled his eyes and grinned at his friend.

… … … … …

As the month drew to a close, and the journey to Asgard loomed closer, the team began to bicker constantly whenever the topic came up. Firstly, they couldn't decide if the Bifrost site they were supposed to go to was Thor's original one out in New Mexico, or the more recent one in Central Park.

They couldn't surmise what time to be at the site- it hadn't been specified.

They argued over how long they might be in Asgard, and what they should take with them- an overnight bag with toiletries and a change of clothes, or a more substantial selection of wardrobe.

So when a mad scientist unleashed a giant cybernetic scorpion on Boston, it was almost a relief for all of them to have something else to focus on for a few hours.

And after they had reverted to 'working together' mode, instead of 'sitting around idle and complaining' mode, Steve continued to function as their leader, and took charge of the situation.

He decided that the New Mexico site was the more obvious (and private) option, and that they would fly to the Land of Enchantment in Stark's private jet.

He told everyone to bring three days worth of clothing and toiletries, and one nice outfit in case there was some sort of formal banquet; and no, for the last time, Tony was not bringing the Iron Man suit.

And since they still didn't have an accurate time, Steve wrote a bunch of different times on slips of paper, and then drew one at random, lottery style.

The winning bid was six pm.

… … … …

Just after lunchtime on the first of the month they assembled at the Stark hangar at La Guardia airport.

Tony was in pewter-coloured Armani, his goatee and hair expertly coiffed. His baggage (because Tony never travelled light) was already stowed.

Bruce was rumpled as ever, but quickly explained that he planned to change before they were _beamed up_, or however it was going to go.

Steve turned up, clutching his satchel to his chest, looking paler than normal.

"What, you aren't nervous about going to Asgard, and being surrounded by_ Gods_, are you?" Tony teased the Captain.

Steve swallowed nervously and looked away, avoiding the question. Tony was about to push his luck when Bruce caught his eye and gave Tony a small frowning shake of his head. Tony rolled his eyes.

Fury turned up in head-to-toe black as per usual, and clutching a black leather sport bag. Tony eyed the bag suspiciously. "Let me guess, you've got a change of underwear, some Aesop moisturiser, and the rest is grenades?"

"No underwear" Fury dead-panned.

"Well, that was an over-share of sorts" Tony muttered.

Clint and Natasha were the last to arrive. Both of them pulled wheeled carry-on suitcases from the trunk of the Acura with the practiced ease of people who travelled a lot for their work.

Natasha looked relatively calm, but Clint looked even grimmer than Steve.

"Hail, hail, the gang's all here" Tony joked, trying to liven the mood. He gestured for them to board, and one by one they climbed the stairs and got settled for the flight.

… … … …

Neither Clint nor Steve said much during the flight. Natasha stuck close to Clint, fending off with a sharp look anyone who tried to engage either of them in any sort of conversation.

Steve just sat and stared out of the window the entire time, seemingly uninterested in anything or anyone aboard the jet.

Bruce sat across from him for a little while, and studied him quietly.

"You okay, Steve?" he asked kindly.

Steve let out a long, quite sigh. "Just feeling really small right now" he admitted.

Bruce gave him a weak smile. He was a man of science, so he couldn't exactly relate to having his faith shaken the way Steve was currently experiencing. It actually surprised him that, given all that they'd seen and done thus far, that Steve even had any particular faith left.

"You'll find a way through, Cap." Bruce said, giving the young man a reassuring smile. "You always do. Don't let this shake your tree too much."

Steve looked at him, eyes still troubled, but he managed a watery smile. "Thanks."

… … … …

The sun was setting as the group made their way onto the site, a rag-tag bunch and their baggage.

"Scotty, six to beam up." Tony called to the twilight. Fury gave a short chuckle.

Nothing much happened. They stood around, not really knowing what to do.

"If we dragged our asses out here and it turns out we were supposed to be in New York, I'm gonna be pissed" Natasha muttered.

"Why? You worried this dry heat is gonna make your hair frizzy?" Tony said off-handedly.

Natasha frowned at him. "I hope your gel melts."

Tony winked at her.

Bruce shoved his hands in his pockets, and paced the edge of the pattern which had been burned into the earth by previous Asgardian visits. True to his word, he had changed into a new, eggplant-coloured shirt, dark grey trousers and tie, but he still managed to look somewhat dishevelled.

Fury was standing in the centre of the circle, looking patiently up at the sky.

"Anybody else notice a change in the weather?" he said casually.

Five pairs of eyes looked skywards.

"What's going on with those clouds?" Steve wondered aloud.

The dark blue of the sky had become littered with dense, high clouds that seemed to cluster over the place they were standing.

"Looks like it's about to storm... and where there's thunder..." Tony quipped with a grin.

Almost as if on cue, the cloud was lit from within by multicolour flashes of light.

"Looks like our ride is here. Everyone ready to go?" Fury called. A roaring, rushing sound was filling the air.

"Uh, run us through the safety briefing again?" Tony said, as he looked uncertainly at the swirling funnel of mist that was descending from the cloud.

"Oh boy" Steve said nervously. "I don't like this."

Everyone clutched their bags tightly and clustered together as the swirling cloud of energy crashed down around them.

And then they were weightless, and being borne upwards in a swirl of rainbow-flecked light.

They moved through space-and-time, weightless, seeming to be pulled forwards and upwards without actually moving.

The noise, like the sea during a storm, enveloped them until they felt it as much as they heard it.

Electricity crackled through them, making the soft hairs on their arm stand on end- but it wasn't painful.

And the colours... the light filled their eye until the beauty was almost overwhelming.

And then they landed. Spat out of the rainbow storm into a golden room.

They were disoriented, exhilarated, stunned. They all stood doubled-over and blinking for a moment, breathing hard.

"My fellow _Avengers_!" a familiar voice boomed."My friends. Welcome to Asgard!"

… … … …

_Author's notes: Yay, they made to Asgard! Now the real fun begins! Thanks to everyone who is leaving feedback, I really appreciate your thoughts; and big thanks to people who are taking time to comment anonymously, I wish I could PM you all back to thank you. Thanks also for all the subscriptions to and favouring of the series._

_Lots of tricky Norse mythology coming up, I enjoyed working some of it in, so I hope you'll like reading it._

_Also- giant cybernetic scorpion? Because I could, that's why!_

_Follow me on Twitter and Pinterest for updates and fun stuff:_ **Bombshell1701**


	4. Chapter 4

**What Happens In Asgard**

**Chapter Four**

"I admit, I am not surprised to see you all here, despite it only being Fury and Barton whom my father summoned." Thor said with a knowing smile.

Bruce recovered his wits first. He shook off the lingering disorientation, and stepped forward to greet the God of Thunder. Thor grasped the man's forearms and smiled broadly.

"Doctor Banner. It is good to see you again."

"It's okay, right? Us all being here? We figured... it would be good to come as a team." Bruce explained.

Thor broke off and looked around the group. "It is an honour and a pleasure to welcome all of you."

The rest of the team had gathered themselves and were all staring at the room they'd arrived in.

"This makes Grand Central Station look like it was designed by kindergartners" Tony said with a small smile.

"The Man of Iron" Thor said, clasping Tony's shoulder.

One by one Thor welcomed the team to the realm. Clint hung back, and Thor went to him last.

"Friend Barton," he said quietly, laying a gentle hand on the other man's arm, "You honour me with your visit."

"Well, these bozos were all so keen to see this place, how could I say no?" Clint said casually.

"I am glad to see everyone again, though I sincerely wish it were under different circumstances" Thor said honestly. The beaming smile suddenly dropped off the god's face. He looked at the ground for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He looked back up, drew in a breath, and smiled reassuringly at the group.

"But first, please allow me to show you Asgard, and introduce you to my parents, and my oldest friends. Everyone is very excited to meet with you."

He gestured for the group to follow him from the golden room, but his path was blocked by a tall, dark man in an impressive helmet.

"My lord, your guests cannot enter Asgard, armed as some of them are" he stated in a magnificently deep voice.

Thor's brow furrowed, and he turned to the rest of the team. "This is Heimdall, guardian of this realm, and watcher" he said, by way of introduction. "He sees all. If any of you are armed, you must surrender your weapons now."

Heimdall produced an impressive golden weapons chest, and fixed Natasha with a knowing look. Then his gaze shifted to Fury and Barton in turn.

"Something you're not telling us, kiddies?" Tony said dryly. He shot a look at Steve. "And there you were, all worried that _I'd_ cause a scene."

Steve was frowning disapprovingly at his colleagues.

Natasha issued a tiny sigh, and reached into her jacket, producing a small handgun from a shoulder hostler. She then reached into the other side of the jacket and retrieved another gun. Fury followed suit, producing two handguns of his own. They placed them into the locker.

Clint unclipped a sheathed knife from the back of his belt and added it to the cache. Fury unzipped his sport bag and turned over another handgun. He then stooped down and unclipped his ankle holster, depositing the small calibre gun into the chest. He stood back, looking surly.

Heimdall started calmly at them. "That is not all."

Natasha and Clint glanced at each other. Natasha looked like she wanted to roll her eyes, but held off. She reached deep into a false pocket in her jeans and produced another knife from a sheath concealed on her thigh.

"What the hell?" Tony murmured.

She and Clint then crouched and each produced knives from ankle sheaths, which they dropped into the chest. Clint sighed and folded his arms, a wary look on his face.

Heimdall continued to stare at Natasha. She stared back.

"Fine" she grumbled after a moment, she leaned down and whipped off her ankle boot, tipping it upside down until a tiny flick knife fell out into her hand. She tossed it into the box and pulled her shoe back on. "Happy now?" she taunted.

"You may pass" Heimdall told them, finally satisfied.

Thor nodded to him, and gestured for the group to follow.

Natasha hung back, staying close to Heimdall. They considered each other for a moment.

"So, Heimdall" Natasha drawled. "You know, in Norse mythology, on Midgard, it's believed that you slay Loki at Ragnarok."

Heimdall nodded slowly. "That is how it is foretold."

Natasha's mouth quirked slightly. "Well, just let me thank you in advance."

Heimdall considered her for a moment. "It is also foretold that I will meet my demise by his hand at the same time," he said solemnly.

Natasha made a thoughtful hum. "That's a bummer."

"It is a sacrifice I am willing to make" Heimdall answered.

Natasha stared at him, unsure if he was being sardonic, or if he was completely serious. His face was neutral, but she could almost swear she saw a tiny glint of amusement in his golden eyes.

"Yeah. I like your style" she said.

… … … ...

Their normally fearless leader was in quite a state.

The rest of the team had been positively agog as they'd been paraded on horseback into through the royal city, past a crowd of hundreds of excited on-lookers. Even Tony had been enveloped in a aura of shocked silence as the reality of where they were had sunk in. That, coupled with the beauty and splendour of the whole place had struck them all dumb.

Bruce had noticed that Steve was the only one of them not looking around in amazement. His eyes had been downcast, staring worriedly at his mount as he rode. His shoulders seemed to rise and fall rapidly; Bruce suspected the other man was trying hard to ward off a panic attack.

They had been shown to their living quarters in a private wing of the castle. They each had a magnificent suite, with a sitting room, bedroom and bathroom.

They had followed Thor's instructions to rest briefly and freshen up, and were assembled again in an antechamber off the throne room, to be instructed by a royal advisor in the protocol of meeting the king and queen of Asgard. Steve was nowhere to be found.

"Bet he's lost" Tony said. "He probably went wandering off looking for a hot-dog stand and ended up in some village outside the wall."

"I shall send people to search him out" the majordomo said, looking a little put-out. "But the banquet is due to start shortly, and you must be presented to the royal family first."

Bruce slipped out of the room, and found his way back to the Avengers' wing. He knocked firmly on the door to the chamber Steve had been given. When he didn't receive an invitation to enter, he let himself in.

Steve was sitting at a huge desk, sketching on a small notepad.

"Steve?" Bruce asked. "You okay, Cap?" He wandered closer and looked over Steve's shoulder. The blonde man was drawing from memory a cityscape of New York. Bruce reached out and touched Steve's shoulder. Steve's hand paused, but he didn't turn to look up at Bruce.

"We gotta go, Steve. We have to learn to bow and scape to the royal family, and then have dinner."

Steve shook his head. "I can't." he went back to shading the drawing. "I don't think I can do this, Bruce. It's too much. I feel like my brain is going to explode. I shouldn't have come." He dropped the pencil and put his face in his hands. "What was I thinking?" he muttered.

"What exactly is bothering you?" Bruce asked gently.

Steve dropped his hands, and took a moment to gather his thoughts. "I went to sleep for seventy years. I woke up to a world I barely recognised... but I adapted." He sighed deeply. "It took a while, but I was getting there. And just when I had a handle on it... Aliens." The blonde man looked up at Bruce, stricken. "Aliens came out of a portal and tore up New York."

Bruce gave Steve a weak, reassuring smile. "Yeah... that was pretty... mind-blowing."

"And now this." Steve shook his head. "We're on another world. In... a different realm. What does that even mean? I- I don't understand. And Thor... he's a god, and his father is Odin, also a god. And I was raised to believe in _God_... but not like this. I can't understand it... "

"Steve, none of us were raised to believe that any of this stuff could happen. Do you think when I was a kid I considered the possibility that one day I'd become a not-so-jolly green giant? Or that I'd be visiting an alien planet because of it?

No, not even close. All you can do is _accept it_. Accept that this is your reality. This is really happening. You don't have to understand the science or mechanics. You don't have to stop believing in the god you were raised with. Just remember- as wild as this all is, it's happening to _all _of us. That's why we're here as a team. We're all in on this together."

Steve stared at Bruce and considered the man's words very carefully, and slowly his expression softened.

"I don't have to... stop believing in _my _God?" he asked shyly.

"Of course not" Bruce said kindly. "Keep your faith, whatever it is. No-one is going to tell you differently.

"But... I have to go meet another god" Steve said wearily.

"Sure... and one day, you'll meet your own god. Just hopefully not any time soon." Bruce smiled, and squeezed Steve's shoulder.

Steve managed a weak smile. "I guess I just better be careful. It would be awkward if I made Odin mad and he smote me, or something. How would I explain that to Saint Peter?"

Bruce laughed. "You don't have to worry, Cap. That's why we brought Tony. He'll make the rest of us look respectful. And respectable."

Steve's smile strengthened, and he stood up, smoothing his clothes. "Okay" he breathed. "This is my life now, weird as it is. But my friends are here with me. And we're all exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilisations, boldly going-"

"Okay, that's enough of that" Bruce scolded.

… … … ...

_Author's notes: A Heimdall cameo was necessary, because Heimdall is cool; and apparently he really does see everything, including the contents of your shoes. The line about the Heimdall/Loki slayage thing really is from Norse mythology- the foretelling of Ragnarok, where pretty much everyone dies, and Joss Whedon didn't even write it! _

_Also, I know I have Steve being a bit faint-hearted here, but you have to remember the sort of man he is at his core. I hope I got his point across okay, and... ya can't blame him, really. It would all be a bit much. And don't worry, he gets to be nice and Captainy again a bit later._

_Thanks again for the reviews, I love it! Keep 'em coming!_


	5. Chapter 5

**What Happens In Asgard**

**Chapter Five**

The presentation of the team to the royal family and the Asgardian court went surprisingly well.

Odin sat on a high, golden throne, all shining armour and stern demeanour. His wife, Frigga sat to his left. She was a beautiful but somber-looking woman. Thor sat to Odin's right, an enormous, contagious grin on his face.

Odin's younger brothers, Vili and Ve sat either side of his wife and eldest son. They both looked exactly as Bruce imagined Viking warlords might have looked back in the day. Both had thick ginger hair, shot through with grey; Vili was barrel-chested and powerful, Ve was lithe, and even seated he was clearly of great height.

As the highest ranking person in the Midgardian contingent, Nick Fury was introduced first. He executed a deep bow, never taking his eyes off the royal family. He and Odin casually stared at one another, each with their good eye.

As the team leader, Steve was introduced next. Bruce noted that the young man was still pale and nervous-looking, but when presented to the king and queen he managed a thoroughly respectful bow. Bruce also noted the super-soldier receiving some very approving looks from various ladies of the court.

Natasha was introduced next, and surprised her team mates when, instead of bowing (which they assumed would be her thing) she executed a curtsy so graceful she looked like a prima ballerina.

Bruce was then himself called forward, and gave them a rather stiff, but well-meaning bow. He stepped back into line, relieved he was off the hook, and noticed the speculative looks given him by three dashing warriors at the front of the court.

Clint was introduced, and gave a respectful, if somewhat curt bow. Many of the courtesans craned forward to get a look at him, and Bruce wondered what Thor had reported to his fellow Asgardians about Hawkeye's unwilling involvement with Loki. Clint pointedly ignored the looks, but Natasha gave a tiny sigh of frustration. Clint was still reticent about his presence in Asgard; and Bruce sincerely hoped things would not get worse for the archer.

When Tony was presented, he sauntered forward and pulled off a bow that was equal parts respect and swagger, grinning charmingly at the royal family. Odin's stern expression did not waver, but Bruce was certain that the smallest hint of a smile flitted across Frigga's lovely face.

After the court presentation, everyone moved into the banquet room. With the formalities over, Thor was free to introduce his new friends around.

******"**Avengers, it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three" Thor boomed.

"Weren't they an RnB group in the Seventies?" Tony said to Bruce in a stage whisper, as the three dashing warriors Bruce had noticed looking at him stepped forward, flanked by a tall, stunning brunette woman.

The four of them bowed respectfully to the Avengers, and after exchanging brief, somewhat baffled looks all round, the team returned the gesture.

The team, with the addition of Thor's comrades, sat around a long table. Comely serving-maidens made their way around the room, depositing enormous mugs of golden ale on the tables.

Thor leaned forward, and looked around at his fellow Avengers, his face quite serious. "I must warn you about Asgardian Ale- you will find it stronger than the brew you drink on Midgard-" he broke off to stare at Tony, who was already chugging from his mug. Tony broke off with a delighted sigh.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying? I couldn't hear you over the sounds of my taste-buds dying of happiness" he enthused.

The Warriors Three grinned proudly, but everyone else rolled their eyes.

"Seriously, guys... drink up. This stuff is Valhalla in a flagon" Tony breathed.

Natasha shrugged, and raised her tankard. "To Asgard."

Everyone joined in the toast, and then drank deeply. The Asgardians drank so deeply that they drained their mugs in one draught. Not even Tony could equal that, and he broke of with a gasp, looking impressed. The others didn't even try to keep up with the god and his friends, and rested after they'd each had a respectable mouthful.

Tony looked down the table, and saw, to his surprise (and alarm) Steve polishing off his mug. The blonde man set the empty vessel onto the table with a satisfied sigh, and leaned back in his chair. Thor gave him a proud smile.

"That really hits the spot" Steve admitted.

"Then break your cup on the floor and call for another!" Thor encouraged. He dashed his flagon on the floor, smashing it, and then grinned at the shock expression on the Captain's face.

"And people think my parties are crazy" Tony intoned to Natasha.

"No, Thor's just trashing ceramics, not the entire house" Natasha drawled.

"For now, but the night is still young" Tony shot back.

With an uncertain look on his face, Steve held his empty drinking vessel aloft. "When in Asgard..." he said, throwing it down. The Asgardian contingent at the table cheered, and fresh ale was brought forth.

… … ...

Tony _had_ to leave the table. He had a great capacity to eat, drink and be merry; but feasting Asgard-style might just kill him. He'd had his fill of ale and local delicacies, which consisted largely of roasted meats, smoked and pickled fish, pickled and preserved vegetables and dark, malty breads.

But it was the sight of Steve- who was clearly feeling better now- putting away his six-or-seventh-or-eighth ale and pretty much an entire suckling pig, that really did Tony's head in.

He pushed away from the table and wandered out to a terrace off the great hall. It overlooked a goodly portion of Asgard, and Tony smiled and shook his head as he took in the sight of this alien world.

He rested casually on the terrace wall, turning when he heard soft footsteps. Thor's mother, Frigga was taking a turn on the terrace, but she was far away in thought, and it took a moment for her to notice that she was not alone.

As soon as she registered Tony, she came back to herself, straightened up and smiled.

Tony bowed "Highness" he greeted. "Is it okay that I'm out here? I just needed a little fresh air."

"Mister Stark" she answered. "It is perfectly fine. There are but a few places in Asgard that are forbidden to you." Her eyes drifted briefly to a high tower at the far end of the citadel. She turned back to Tony. "You are the Man of Iron?"

"Guilty as charged" Tony answered with a smile. "I wanted to bring the suit, figured you and yours might get a kick out of it, fond as you are of armour... but the others talked me out of it." Tony admitted.

"Ah" Frigga murmured. "I have heard Thor's tales of your battle armour and its impressive weapons. You would have had an interesting time getting it past Heimdall..."

"Yeah, he's just about the best bouncer I've ever seen" Tony muttered.

"A shame, though. I'm certain you would have been a most impressive sight. Not that you aren't now" she added with a smirk. "I enjoy Midgardian fashions, and that is a very elegant suit. I also enjoyed your presentation at court. You have natural charm."

Tony decided he liked her. He'd meet queens and all kinds of royal types, but she took the cake when it came to the subtle art of flattering man's ego. But with Odin, Thor and Loki as her family, he supposed she was well-practiced.

Her eyes had drifted to the tower again, and her smile wavered. Tony followed her eye line, and leaned forward onto the wall again, considering the building.

"That where they keeping Loki?" he dared.

"Yes" Frigga said quietly.

"What is with royal families, and princes in towers?" He puzzled aloud. Frigga gave him a sharp, questioning look.

"It's a Midgard thing... something that happened a long time ago in our history."

She frowned silently.

"So... he's just... letting himself be imprisoned?"

Frigga pushed out and angry breath and shifted back from the terrace wall, her face troubled.

"I'm... sorry" Tony said sincerely, figuring he shouldn't be pissing off royalty.

"He is held by wards. Binding spells and dark magic."

Tony really didn't know what to think of that.

"Loki is powerfully magical. He always was, even as a small boy," Frigga explained with a sad smile.

"I... got something of a demonstration of his power, yes" Tony said cautiously.

"That was nothing. A sample of what he's truly capable of. On Midgard he does not command his full potential. He is at his strongest here, because this is his... home. One of them..."

Tony nodded encouragingly.

"Odin can't strip Loki of his powers, because they are unique to Loki. But Odin is the All-Father, with his own high magic. So he has bound Loki, forbidden him to use his magic in any way. And then he shut Loki in the tower until his trial, and bound the tower with magic so there can be no escape." Her face paled.

Tony's brow furrowed. He liked Frigga, but he wasn't sure he much cared for Odin.

"You're not allowed to see your son?"

Frigga smiled bitterly, her eyes welling with tears. "We would be permitted. But he refuses to speak with anyone. Which is his right."

Tony sighed, and risked laying a comforting hand on Frigga's arm, hoping he wouldn't get tossed into the tower as Loki's room-mate for the major breach of protocol. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Frigga swallowed and blinked hard, struggling to compose herself. "This is how it must be."

"He won't even see Thor? The guy is pretty much the god of forgiveness. Which is a trait I suspect he gets from you" Tony said gently. Frigga gave him a weak smile.

"He refuses. He has rejected us completely. He hates us, one and all" she said, her voice hollow. Her grief was tangible, and for some reason, Tony felt a creep of guilt. He cringed. He really didn't know what to say.

He reached up, taking Frigga's hand, and tucking it into the crook of his arm. She looked mildly surprised, but allowed him to.

"C'mon" Tony said gently. "Let's take a walk. I can see a rose garden in the grounds. Why don't you do the royal thing and give me tour."

She almost managed a smile, and some of the colour returned to her face. "I would be glad of the distraction, Mister Stark."

"Please, call me Tony" he said easily.

… … … ...

Author's notes: In Norse mythology, Odin really does have two brothers named Vili and Ve; together the three of them were responsible for creating the Earth and the first two humans. It's a crazy, slightly creepy story, you should look it up.

And can I just say; Tony Stark- what a charmer! And I've really enjoyed writing Frigga, she has some very strong stuff coming up. Lots of fun (and serious) stuff to come, thanks for reading! And you can also follow me on Twitter: **Bombshell1701**


	6. Chapter 6

**What Happens In Asgard**

**Chapter Six**

"You are the incredible warrior called _Hulk_, are you not?"

"Oh boy" Bruce sighed. He shifted up the bench to allow the Warriors Three to sit next to him.

"I am called Fandral," the blonde man introduced himself. "These are my brothers-at-arms, Volstagg and Hogun" he gestured to barrel-chest ginger, and a man with unusually Asiatic features, who both inclined their heads respectfully.

"Bruce Banner" the doctor said, reaching out to shake each of the men's hands in turn. They returned the gesture awkwardly.

"We have been looking forward to meeting with you: Thor spoke most highly of you in battle,"

Volstagg explained. "Though... if you don't mind my saying-"

"Volstagg, don't be rude to the All-Father's guest" Hogun hissed.

"You do not look at all like a warrior!" Volstagg cried, completely ignoring his friends' warning.

Bruce smiled slightly. "Well, most of the time I'm not."

"You transform" Hogun confirmed.

Bruce nodded.

"A shape shifter? A mage, like Loki?" Volstagg questioned suspiciously.

"Not exactly. I had an accident... with science."

"Science?" Hogan asked.

"It's what we call magic on Midgard" Bruce explained. "And now, when I'm angry, really angry... I transform..."

"Into an enormous green rage-monster" Fandral said enthusiastically.

Bruce sighed out a chuckle. "Thor has been hanging around with Tony" he muttered.

"Could we see a demonstration of the warrior within?" Volstagg encouraged.

"Oh, hell no!" Bruce said seriously.

"You would honour us tremendously" Fandral said earnestly.

Bruce shook his head, and made a placating gesture with his hands. "I can't guys, I'm sorry. It's way too dangerous. You don't understand."

"We have seen Thor go full berserker on the battlefield, surely your transformation would not be that much of a shock" Fandral speculated.

"Think of Thor going berserk, but then imagine he's five times the size, ten times as strong, and pretty much impervious to weapons of any kind."

Fandral's eyes went wide as he contemplated that mental image. Hogun nodded sympathetically, but Volstagg let out a sigh of disappointment.

"Thor has told us the tales of fighting alongside you; of how you nearly bested him in single combat; and that the strength of one of your strikes was enough to fell him" Hogun explained, now understanding how this was possible. "Thor is the mightiest warrior we have ever know, perhaps mightier than his own father. Please forgive out curiosity."

Bruce smiled at their enthusiasm. "It's okay. Actually, it's kinda cool that Thor is humble enough to admit to getting his ass kicked by the likes of me" he said with a self-deprecating grin.

"Perhaps, instead... you could tell us _your_ version of the tale of the Battle of New York City?" Fandral suggested. "Especially the part where you smashed Loki into submission?"

"Oh, I would like to have seen that" Hogun muttered.

"Or tales of your other wild adventures and heroic deeds?" Volstagg asked.

Bruce looked at their enthusiastic faces, feeling completely flabbergasted. "I don't think I could rightfully call anything I do heroic" he said apologetically.

The Warriors Three looked beseechingly at him, and finally, he couldn't help himself, and he grinned.

"Okay. All right." He thought for a moment. "Let me tell you how it went down with Loki. It's actually a pretty funny story, by all accounts..."

… … … ...

"So, what do we do when we want to leave?" Clint asked Natasha. "I mean, can we just get up from the table and go, or do we have to go around saying good night to everyone, shake hands, head-butt them? What?"

"They're Asgardians, not Klingons, dumbass" Natasha said with a small smile.

"They wear the same shoes as Klingons, so, same diff'," Clint tossed back.

"We should at least say goodnight to Thor, and he'll let us know what to do." She drained the last of her ale. "You sure you're ready to turn in? I figured this magical ale would have loosened you up by now."

"Not really" Clint admitted. "I just don't feel safe here, Nat, so I'm not going to start drinking and let my guard slip. This place should be called Ass-Guard. As in, you need to guard your ass."

Natasha eyed him. "Literally. Or figuratively?"

"A bit of both."

Natasha sighed. "You know I've got your back, right. And your ass."

"I know" Clint said with a small smile. "I think my ass can take care of itself. But my back thanks you."

Natasha looked around the room. "At least they've mostly stopped staring."

"Mostly" Clint said with a deep frown. Growing up in the circus got him used to having a lot of eyes on him... but the scrutiny here made his skin crawl. He wondered what the hell was being said about him. And he wondered why he cared.

Natasha studied him again. "I feel it only fair to warn you, the second I get you alone... I'm making you tell me what that majordomo dude said to you about the trial. About how it's gonna go."

Clint shrugged and nodded. "I wasn't sworn to silence or anything. Not that that would matter, because I'd tell you anyway."

Natasha nodded. "Okay. Let's bug out before they start dancing on the tables, or something."

...

Thor was surrounded by a gaggle of admirers (mostly female) but Natasha didn't hesitate to elbow her way up to him.

He looked mildly concerned at Clint's wanting to leave, but graciously bid them goodnight, and took them to his father. They bowed again before the the king of Asgard, and he dismissed them.

...

Natasha was sure it would be frowned upon for her to be in Clint's chambers: she didn't much care.

As soon as they were alone in private they both got comfortable, kicking off their shoes, peeling off their jackets. Clint unzipped Natasha's dressed and she let the garment slide to the floor, happy to be in just her slip and underwear.

Clint pulled off his shirt, but for the sake of decorum, (something else Nat didn't care about) left his pants on. He flopped backwards onto the huge bed, and Natasha climbed up beside him, building herself a nest out of plump, down pillows.

"Okay" she began. "What's the deal with Loki's trial. What kind of hoops have they got lined up for you?"

Clint rubbed his eyes "No hoops. It's pretty straightforward, actually. Odin and his brothers... Vili and Ve... they're the judges. Loki is allowed to stand before them first, and give a speech to defend himself, or explain himself... whatever."

Natasha made a bitter, scoffing noise.

"Then Fury gets up, says his piece; describes what Loki did and the effect it had on New York and everyone else on Earth; talks about the short-term and long-term damage. That should be pretty solid, he's not going to mince words."

"Good" Natasha muttered.

Then, if anyone wants to speak on Loki's behalf, they get a turn.

"I'm guessing Thor will jump in there."

Clint nodded.

Natasha shook her head. "Thor is an idiot" she said, but there was a touch of sympathy in her voice. "He may be the God of Thunder, but he's a fool when it come to his brother. Then what happens? When do you...?"

Clint swallowed. "Then it's my turn. I'm supposed to shed a more personal light on the events."

"Oh."

"I'm... supposed to keep it honest and dispassionate."

"Dispassionate?" Natasha echoed. "Which ass-face decided that was how you should behave? Loki subjected you to total mindfuckery, and they want you to be dispassionate?" Natasha fumed.

"Tash. Stop" Clint said flatly. His mouth pressed into a hard line, and Natasha quickly brought herself in check.

"Anyway... Once we're finished tearing strips off the guy, if anyone else has anything they need to say, they get up... and then Loki gets to have the last word. And then Odin and his brothers make their judgement."

"So, Loki gets beheaded? Fired out of a gigantic canon? Eaten alive by wolves?"

Clint sighed deeply. He sat up, his back to Natasha, shoulders slumped. When the awkward silence stretched on too long, Natasha pushed herself up and crawled over to him.

She grabbed his shoulder. "C'mon."

"I don't wanna tussle."

"It'll make you feel better."

Clint considered that for a moment. "Okay, but I'm not wearing these pants."

"I wouldn't expect you to."

five minutes later they had changed into sweats, and were practising Krav Maga grabs and holds.

… … … …

Author's notes: I love the thought of the Warriors Three adopting Bruce because they heard he can kick Thor's a$$, and Bruce giving in to the tradition of epic storytelling. I also love Clint and Nat being so comfortable and platonic with each other that underwear is not an invitation, and play-fighting is their stress relief.


	7. Chapter 7

**What Happens In Asgard**

**Chapter Seven**

Tony woke up frustratingly early, and the eerie silence of his room motivated him to get out of bed.

He bathed and dressed, and wandered from his rooms, not really sure what the breakfasting arrangement would be. He strolled casually through the guest's wing of palace, occasionally meeting a servant, who would immediately stop in their tracks, turn to face him, and bow their head until he'd walked past, which made him grin.

He came upon a long room, which he remembered as being Thor's hall, _Bilskirnir_. The table was handsomely decorated, but not laid out for the morning meal.

Through an archway to his right, Tony could see the God of Thunder on his private terrace. The Asgardian was looking out over the kingdom. He turned and glanced at Tony over his shoulder as Tony approached.

"Good morrow, Tony! Did you sleep well?"

"Like a baby on Nyquil" Tony quipped.

The reference was lost on Thor, but he was becoming used to this with Tony, so he just smiled mildly.

"You have awoken very early- the morning meal is still being prepared. You were all to be summoned to dine together" Thor explained. "If you are hungry, though, I shall call someone from the kitchen to bring you your meal."

"I'm fine. I can wait to eat" Tony said. "I'd like to see how everyone pulls up this morning. Especially Steve. He put away a lot of your ale last night, I'm hoping this morning he's _Captain Hangover_" he added with a grin.

Thor chuckled, and the two fell in to a comfortable silence as they looked out over Asgard. The sun was only just coming up, casting pink and purple tones into the inky sky.

Thor sighed contentedly as he viewed his homeland.

"_Look, Simba, everything the light touches is our kingdom_" Tony quoted.

Thor looked at Tony as though the man had gone mad. Tony smiled and shook his head. "Never mind. But if Steve were here, he'd probably get it."

Thor's brow furrowed, and he shook his head at Tony.

As they looked out over the realm, Tony's eyes were draw to the prison tower Frigga had mentioned the previous evening. Thor noticed where Tony's gaze had fallen, and he looked downcast.

"What's the deal with your brother?" Tony asked quietly.

"He is a prisoner. He is bound in that tower."

"With magic and so on. Yeah, your Mom explained it to me last night. Kind-of." Tony shifted so his back was against the balcony wall, and he turned to face Thor. "So what will they do with him? They won't torture him, or anything low-brow like that, right?"

"He has already been tortured" Thor said quietly, his mouth set in an unhappy line.

Tony's back tensed, but he kept his eyes on Thor's face. Thor met his gaze, his eyes guilty.

"He had to be broken so my father could bind him. He was irrational, dangerous. Pain is the only way to reign him in. It is the only way to stop him-" Thor broke off. He looked towards the tower again.

"Stop him... what? Running off?"

"It was the only way to stop him from handing himself over to the Chitauri" Thor said in a dangerously low voice. "He wanted to surrender to them, and allow them to punish him for his failure. He thought it might distracted them from claiming the Tesseract. If they come for it, they will not find it. If they come for him, they will meet their doom." The air around him crackled with static electricity, making the fine hairs on Tony's arms prickle.

"Huh" Tony mumbled. As subtly as he could, he shifted away from the god. "So, I'm not even going to bother asking where the Rubik's Cube of Trouble is hidden now; I guess that's secret God's stuff."

Thor gave him a withering look.

"But Loki doing the self-sacrifice thing? Didn't see that coming."

Thor narrowed his eyes, his mouth set into a frown.

"I want to see him" Tony gestured to the tower.

Thor looked askance at Tony "Loki?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "No. Rapunzel. Yes... your brother."

Thor scoffed. "He is refusing visitors. He will not see me, not even to rage at me, or taunt me. He will not even see out mother."

"I know" Tony said quietly. "She told me about that, too."

"If he won't even take comfort in family, he is certainly not going to permit _you _an audience" Thor said knowingly.

"Ask him" Tony urged. "I know he'll say yes."

"Why?" Thor demanded.

"Because I'm _not _family. He doesn't owe me anything. Except a few new windows" he shuddered.

"I'm removed from his situation, an outside opinion. That's what he needs."

Thor stared hard at Tony, clearly neither moved nor impressed. "Any other man I would tell to go to Hel. But you made my mother smile last night, friend Tony. It was the first time I have seen a smile light her face since Loki and I returned. And for that, I owe you my thanks, and my trust."

Tony nodded. "All right. I better prepare for the visit. I'm going to need a cake mix and a bunch of hairpins."

Thor looked alarmed, and Tony waved him off with a smile. They stepped in to the dining hall again, to find Steve also entering the room, a mildly confused look on his face.

"Oh, there you are" he said, clearly relieved to see familiar faces.

Tony peered at the soldier. "Why are you not still in bed with a rabid hangover?" he demanded.

"Because you have to get drunk to get a hangover" Steve said sagely.

"You drank enough of that ale to kill an elephant!" Tony cried. "What is wrong with you?"

Steve looked reasonably offended, and Tony turned to Thor. "I blame you. Clearly your princely banquet-hosting skills aren't up to snuff. You need to do something about that" he jerked a thumb at Steve. "My to-do list is full. It's on you,_ thunderstruck_."

Steve and Thor looked searchingly at each other, both once again entirely addled by Tony.

"Now, if you blondes with excuse me, I have date with Prince not-so-Valiant."

… … … … …

Tony was an engineer, and as a result tended to distrust anything he couldn't see with his eyes or touch with his hands.

As soon as they'd set foot in the tower Tony had _felt_ the magic around the place. Invisible to the eye, but terrifyingly tangible and oppressive. He instantly hated the place; the idea of anyone being bound up there, even a freak like Loki, bothered him. He felt his entire body tensing, and he drew in a deep breath to steady himself.

"You can feel my father's wards upon this place" Thor stated.

Tony gave a curt nod.

"It is a testament to his power and deep wisdom."

"It's a testament to_ something_" Tony muttered.

Thor lead him to an inner doorway, two guards stood sentinel either side. They bowed to him and stepped aside. Thor lifted his right hand, as a conductor might strike up an orchestra. He uttered an incantation in a hard-sounding tongue, and the door made a quiet _click_ as it unlocked.

Thor turned to Tony, his eyes wary. "You may enter. Depart whenever you wish. The door will open for you. It will not permit Loki's exit."

He reached up and touched Tony's shoulder, then spun on his heel and strode off.

Tony eyes the guards. They pointedly ignored him, so he shrugged and pushed open the prison door.

Loki scarcely looked up from the book he was reading as Tony entered the chamber.

"Well, hey Loki. I almost didn't recognise you 'cause you're not embedded in my floor." Tony greeted cheerfully. He took several casual steps closer to the god of mischief, peering at him.

Loki's mouth pursed into a smirk, but his eyes stayed on his reading. "Come to gloat?"

"Nope" Tony said, slipping his hands into his pockets. He studied the god. "Came to see how you're doing."

Slowly, Loki lifted his gaze from his book, and he stared at Tony. His eyes were cold and hard, but Tony could see something else in the look. Tony didn't know Loki at all, but something was clearly _off _about the god. He wondered if it was the result of whatever tortures Loki had been subject to, or just because of the binding magic in general. Tony suppressed a shudder at the thought.

They stared at each other in icy silence for several minutes. Loki looked like he was considering leaping from from the bed to throttle Tony, so Tony stood, calm and casual, like visiting a wrathful god were an everyday occurrence.

"They feeding you?" Tony asked.

"Of course they're feeding me. I'm a prisoner, not a stray animal" Loki said, genuinely puzzled by the question.

Tony shrugged and nodded. He pulled a straight-backed chair from the desk and sat.

"Yes, do please take a seat" Loki said sarcastically.

"Well, you didn't have the manners to offer" Tony slung back. "Which is rich, because I've met your Mom, and she's a classy lady- so I know for a fact that you were raised better."

Loki gave a short, bitter laugh. "You met the woman who raised me, not my mother."

"Same difference" Tony said humourlessly.

"Please. She is yet another impostor, masquerading as my family."

Tony folded his arms and sat back in the chair, studying Loki, his head tilted to the side. Loki held his gaze with silent defiance.

"You haven't spoken with her since you got back."

"I have refused. "

"Nothing to say to her?" Tony pressed.

"Nothing to say to any of them" Loki said sniffily.

Tony nodded thoughtfully. "Well. You've broken her heart."

"Dear me. What a tragedy" Loki said coldly. His eyes were hard. "Perhaps you can build her a replacement." he gestured to Tony's Arc with a smirk. "And while you're at it, why don't you build one for Odin? Though I do not know what use he'd have for a heart."

"Talking smack about your dad is one thing- but your mother is a good woman" Tony said coldly.

"She's a liar, just like the rest of them. But you've only known her for less than a day, I'm sure you're still quite susceptible to her charms."

"I can't believe even you would be so cruel towards the woman who raised you" Tony said pointedly. He leaned forward and looked penetratingly at Loki, who pretended to ignore him, and turned back to his book.

"You do not know a thing about me" Loki said lightly.

"Sure I don't" Tony muttered. He studied Loki. "I bet she sat you in her lap and read to you every night, and you've always loved books, and stories ever since, because they always make you think of her in some small way." Tony said quietly, nodding towards the book in Loki's hands..

Loki snapped the book shut and looked up again to grin leeringly at Tony. "What a delightful imagination you have, Stark. You make me want to throw myself on my family's mercy and vow to change my wicked ways."

Tony rolled his eyes. "I'm not trying to make you repentant, emo-kid. I'm just saying... go easy on the woman who still considers herself your mother."

Tony was done. For now. He turned on his heel and left the prison chamber without exchanging another word with Loki.

He didn't see the pained expression that fleetingly crossed Loki's face.

… … … …

_Author's notes: The only reason I wrote this whole entire series was so I could have Tony use a Lion King quote on Thor in Asgard. You're welcome._

_In other news... Heeeere's Loki! He is a bag (not a box! A bag!) of cats to write, too. The trial starts in the next chapter, and it's huge. I'm very excited to have you all along for the ride!_


	8. Chapter 8

**What Happens In Asgard**

**Chapter Eight**

_Please note: This chapter contains discussions of 9/11, which I know may upset some people._

It seemed that all of Asgard had turned out for the judgement of Loki.

Steve looked around the royal hall; he thought it had been crowded with onlookers when the Avengers were presented to Odin and Frigga, but today the room seemed almost overwhelmed with bodies. He was suddenly glad that he was not required to speak, and pitied his team-mates who were.

He cast a speculative look at Clint. The man was pale and clearly tired, and Steve felt a twinge of guilt that he wasn't doing more to help him. He himself was still more than a little overwhelmed at being in this strange realm. He made a promise to himself to speak with Clint before the man had to give his evidence.

A sudden hush fell over the Thing, and Steve looked up to see why. Loki was being lead in. He was neither bound nor gagged as he'd been the last time Steve had seen him. Steve stared at the fallen god; he looked different somehow than Steve remembered, but Steve couldn't decide why.

Perhaps it was the lack of helmet and adornments. Loki was dressed in a simple green silk doublet and dark trousers, no armour or ornaments to show his rank or position. Steve decided the man looked smaller, weaker and diminished all over. His expression was cold and blank.

As though he could sense Steve's gaze on him, Loki looked up. The haunted expression in the god's gaze fell away, and his eyes lit with malice. He raked his eyes over the team, and a feral grin split his face when he looked upon Clint.

Clint held the stare and managed to look both bored and unconcerned, and Steve saw the tiny smirk of support Natasha offered her friend. So Loki instead turned his gaze upon Natasha, gave her a leering grin and a wink. Natasha flipped him the bird. Loki simply looked amused. He allowed the guards escorting him to thrust him in his seat across the hall from the Avengers.

High on the platform, Odin, Frigga, and Odin's brothers Vili and Ve sat on their thrones, looking out over the guests and subjects. Thor's throne was conspicuously empty: today he was an _Avenger_, and sat with his team.

Odin struck his spear _Gungnir_ three times on the floor, it made a sound like a gong, and a hush fell instantly over the Thing.

Odin stood and stepped forward. "Loki, you are brought before this council to answer for your crimes upon Midgard." As he spoke, Odin's voice was amplified magnificently throughout the hall.

"You will have a chance to speak your piece. Charges will be brought against you by witnesses; but you may also be championed. You have done many misdeeds to many people over time, but this trial is only concerned with your actions on Midgard as its people, and thus, only those grievances will be heard here. At the close of this court, you will once again have a chance to speak, and answer the claims made upon you. Do you understand?"

Loki gave a surly nod.

"Then you may speak. And I remind you to tell the truth."

Loki stood and turned, and fixed the All-Father with the most spiteful, ironic look Steve had ever seen. Odin unflinchingly held his wayward son's gaze. After a painful moment Loki turned away. He stepped out into the floor and looked around at the judgemental faces of the assembly. He gave them a weak, mirthless smile.

"I was raised to believe that I was an Asgardian, and that perhaps one day I could be rightful king of this realm." Loki began, calm and conversational.

"I knew that honour would most likely fall to Thor, my older brother, but still, I prepared earnestly should the sacred duty ever befall me. I never coveted the kingdom. I never schemed for it. I never looked to stab my brother in the back, as you may well think I did. No." Loki smiled then, a bitter grimace that made his eyes light with malice. "I did make mischief for my brother, just to delay the inevitable... just for a chance to prove myself... but to no avail."

"But then I found out a dirty little family secret. I discovered the lie I had been fed my entire life. I found out where I truly belonged in the order of things. I am not of Asgard. I'm not." There was a murmur of confusion through the crowd and Loki shrugged.

"I am not Asgardian. No matter how hard I worked, how I yearned to prove myself worthy of the throne, it was never going to be for me- an outsider. What am I? Are you wondering? Have you not heard the rumours? Have you not been told the truth? Have you not heard the strange tale of the tiny babe your king stole from Jotunheim? No? _No_?"

Loki's face lit up with a mad grin. "Let me regale you!" he cried theatrically. "Let me tell you the truth about your king. How _he_ is the true god of lies. How _he_ is the trickster. How he kidnapped a baby, the son of his sworn enemies, Laufey and Farbauti of Jotunheim, and brought their child home with him, and raised him as his own."

The smile slipped from Loki's face, and now he face was blank, his eyes wide. "Raised him to think he was Asgardian. Raised him to think he might one day be king. Hid from him the dreadful truth."

Thor and Frigga both looked stricken. Odin's face was carefully neutral, his mouth pressed into a thin line.

"Yes... your king has kept a terrible secret... his youngest son is a monster. His youngest son is the enemy you fear."

Loki nodded slowly, taking in the shocked looks on the faces of the crowd. "I am Jotun, not Asgardian. I would show you my true nature, were I not bound by Odin's magic." he spat. "And what a show it would be. Instead you will just have to use your imaginations... and take me at my word. I really am a monster, more than you realise."

'I was undone when I discovered this awful scheme. I knew not what I was, who I was. I was lost. My kin were not my own; my true kin a cold-blooded race of savages. There was no place for me here; no place for me anywhere, I thought.

And when I let go of this realm, this place that was no longer my home, had never really been my home- I wandered the dark places between the branches of Yggdrasil." he glanced at the team, a knowing look on his face.

"And then I was found. My potential was finally recognised. It was gratifying, finally, to be seen as a leader, someone worthy of power. And I moved to realise my dream... I simply wanted a place of my own. Was I not groomed for the honour?" he demanded.

"Was I not built up, only to be torn down by those same hands that had originally lifted me? And Midgard was such a trifle, not really worthy of me; but I saw the potential in it. I saw the ways it could be bettered. I saw how it could be unified, governed, brought into line and made better in every way." he laughed humourlessly, shooting a dark look at Fury.

"But from the moment I appeared to them, they acted as though I meant to kill them all! They threatened me before I could even state my objective. They made the first strike. I meant no harm, but it quickly became obvious that they are all warmongering savages, and they had to be put in their place."

He turned back to the team. "I did not mean for it to get so out of hand. But do you not realise, had you just acquiesced, I would have give you your longer-for unity?" he shook his head, baffled "It really could have been that simple. But no. You are all of you too selfish."

He turned back to the crowd. "So they fought me and my hoard, which hurt my heart and my pride to see, but I persevered: peace must sometimes comes at a cost."

He glared at Fury again, and Fury returned the look. "And when their eyes finally opened, when they began to recognised they were to be bettered... they sent their _champions_. And what a turgid lot they are." He gestured to each Avenger in turn:

"A self-styled knight in armour- really a drunkard with no self control;" Tony preened.

"A man who is a true monster, all of his own making;" Bruce frowned.

"A defunct symbol of poisonous patriotism;" Steve huffed a little, his hands tightening into fists.

"Two mercenaries- professional liars and murderers;" Natasha raised an eyebrow; Clint stared coldly at the god.

"And my own dear, stupid, brother;" Thor looked stricken.

"And this rabble, these fools thought to teach me manners? What an insult. If you want to know who is guilty of the destruction wrecked upon their accursed city, look no further than this band of misfits." He pointed at the group. Tony rolled his eyes.

"They willingly engaged in battle to the detriment of their own unarmed citizens. They knowingly engaged their enemy with no thought to the damage they were openly doing. And what's more- the governments of Midgard wantonly conspired to destroy their very own city, rather than let it be taken. They knowingly were prepared to kill millions of their own people. And yet they call me the villain." Loki gave Fury a cold smile, and then turned back to the assembly.

He appeared almost contrite for a moment. "I may have been wrong. But I was wronged. Wronged in every possibly way, through and through to my marrow. My blood screams with it. And nothing you can do will appease it."

He looked directly at Odin, and addressed him: "Punish me as you will. But punish yourself, because you are as guilty as I. You lied to me, you broke my trust, you rejected me when I craved acceptance. _You_... you are as guilty as I ever could be. You are faithless, loveless and without pity; and of all of us here, you are the one who should be ashamed."

Loki stalked back to his seat, and sat down with an air or arrogant satisfaction.

"Hoo boy" Tony sighed. "He should consider a career in politics. I didn't think he was ever going to shut up."

"Let's just hope his closing argument doesn't turn into a filibuster" Steve sighed.

"Can you believe the nerve of that little shit?" Natasha growled. "Making it sound like we had no right to defend our home?"

"He's screwed and he knows it" Fury said calmly. "He can put whatever spin on it he wants; he knows there's no way he's getting out of this."

Clint said nothing, continuing to glare across the room at Loki. The god pointedly ignored the venomous looks he was receiving.

All around them the assembly was in an uproar. Clearly this was the first most of them had heard of Loki's true nature. The speculative looks were rapidly cooling to expressions of anger and mistrust, directed at the royal family.

"This is not good" Bruce muttered. "They're going to have some sort of coup on their hands if they're not careful."

"That's probably exactly what Loki wants" Steve agreed. "Deflect the heat away from himself and back on to his family and their bad judgement calls."

"Well, I'll put a stop to that" Fury said, standing. "Loki is about to become an ant under a magnifying glass on a sunny day."

He smoothed his jacket, paused to gather himself, and then strode forward, nodding to Odin. Odin raised a hand and gestured for the mortal to begin speaking.

Fury looked around the room, turning slowly on the spot and running his eye over the assembly. He paused when he faced the team, and looked calmly at each of them in turn. He faced towards Odin and his brothers and began.

"I'm supposed to play a numbers game here. Give you an idea of the physical damage done to New York City; count the clean-up costs; tally the dead" he shook his head. "I can't do that. I can give you estimates, sure. Tell you what the experts say the bill is going to be. But how can you put a price on something like that?"

He paused and looked around the room again. His eye fell on Loki. The god's face was completely impassive, as if he had no idea what Fury could possibly be speaking of.

"Us humans- Midgardians, if you like- do a pretty fine job of killing each other already. For example, ten years ago there was another attack on New York- this one was humans killing humans. Thousands died. It took years to clean up. It cost billions of dollars to repair. It left a scar. A permanent breach in the lives of our citizens. It had a ripple effect of a war that cost even more thousands of lives around our world. To this very day people suffer."

"And now this." Fury pointed at Loki. "This god... this angry child... dragged New York into another battle. Opened up the sky and brought down trouble onto an unsuspecting civilian population. And the knock-on affect from that is global in a way that cannot be mended."

He folded his arms and looked at the crowd again. "You want numbers? I can give them to you, though I don't know if they'll mean much. One hundred and sixty billion dollars is the financial cost. That's just money. You wanna hear the death toll? Well I can't give it to you just yet, because they're still cleaning up.

They're still digging bodies out of wreckage and collapsed buildings. They're already saying well over a thousand people... but we will never know. A lot of people were going about their business, and now they're gone... but their families and friends will never know for sure what happened to them. Never get a chance to bury them. Can you imagine what that's like? To lose a loved one and never have closure?"

Fury paused to let the breadth of that tragedy sink in.

"And that's just from the battle of New York City- people who were killed in the city that day, or subsequently died of their injuries. That's really just the start of it.

Our society wasn't prepared for contact with off-world cultures- we're still too busy fighting amongst ourselves. And our first contact with an alien world sees them trying to destroy us. This is the stuff of nightmares, and it has been dropped into the laps of every man, woman and child on our planet.

The damage that has caused, and will cause, is inestimable. There has already been a rise in suicide rates around the world, and xenophobic violence that can be traced directly to the invasion... and those numbers will climb as the reality continues to sink in."

Fury stared dispassionately at Loki. "This is damage that cannot be undone. No amount of saying sorry, no amount of money, no amount of reassurance and heroics is going to fix this. We can try to contain, control the damage, but we can't stop it. Our society is forever changed, and I can't even begin to guess what the long-term effect of that will be."

Fury looked down, thoughtful. "I don't know what else to tell you- the price is too high. The cost has been too great. All because one man calls himself a god and tries to enslave a world."

Fury's speech was met with silence. The assembled Asgardians looked upon him with a mix of expressions; some horrified, many confused, some openly unbelieving. Fury once again nodded to Odin, and returned to his seat.

The team was silent. Not even Tony had a smart remark. Steve swallowed nervously, and risked a look at Thor. The god looked subdued, almost upset, and he sat still and quiet, his eye downcast. Slowly, everyone began to look at him: it was his turn to speak.

Across the room Loki looked expectantly at his adopted brother; he reclined in his seat, an eager expression upon his face, as though her were looking forward to something.

"Thor?" Steve said gently, "It's your turn. Are you ready?"

Thor nodded, and stood. He paused and dared to glance at the assembly, and then stepped forward. He dropped his eyes again, clearly thinking hard. For a moment he paced back and forth like a caged animal, gathering his thoughts. He avoided the eyes of the assembly, but he dared to look up at Frigga, and she gave him a gaze filled with love and hope.

Finally he stopped and his head jerked up. "Loki is my brother. No matter what he might think, no matter how hard he tries to reject me, I think him my kin, and nothing can ever undo that. I love him as surely as I love my mother and father" Thor began in a kingly, commanding manner.

"To see him like this... to look at him and know of the things he has done, to have witnessed his deeds with my own eyes, breaks my heart." He looked at Loki, but the dark god would not meet his gaze. Instead, Thor turned and addressed his father and uncles.

"He spoke to me once of walking in my shadow. He clearly blamed me, and felt I had done him wrong. He was correct. I have been so arrogant for so long, I did not see how I was hurting him. I have lived blinded by my own importance, impervious to the feelings of my sensitive, brilliant brother. It was only when I was cast out of my home did I learn humility. By then it was too late. Loki had turned away from us."

Thor turned back to his brother and addressed him directly. "I did not know how you struggled, how you suffered. When we were children we shared everything- every thought, every secret, every adventure. Why did you never speak to me of how you felt? If you had a growing shadow and doubt in your mind, you should have spoken to me! Why did you never strike me to open my eyes, take me by the shoulders and shake me, openly challenge my way?"

Slowly, Loki looked up and met Thor's eyes. His face was neutral, but there was fire in his eyes.

"Do you doubt my fraternal love for you?" Thor asked him. "Do you think that though we were destined to walk different paths that I would want you anywhere else but by my side? You were not to be relegated to the shadows, brother. The glory was to shine upon your face, too, just as equally. You did not have to try to steal it. You did not have to plunder Midgard for fame."

Loki huffed a sigh, equal parts emotion and raw disbelief.

"I never suspected your true provenance, Loki, and I have to tell you now: I do not care. It matters not one whit to me that you were brought into our family. I do not care that you are Jotun. I apologise with my whole heart for making you feel like my enemy. You are not. You are my family, you are my blood."

Loki's mouth was tense, pressed into a thin, angry line. He stared evenly at Thor, but the God of Thunder was not finished.

"You have done terrible things, there is no denying it. There can be no excusing it, no hiding from the repercussions. But we have wronged you."

Thor looked to his father. "Did we not, in some way drive him to these desperate, terrible actions? Did we expect too much, yet offer him too little?"

Thor's heated gaze shifted to Fury and his team mates. "I cannot ask you to forgive this, and act as though it never happened. But I will ask you not to judge him so unfairly. You do not know him as I do. You see only the villain who wrecked destruction upon your realm."

He looked back at Loki, his expression softening. "I see my brother. I see the boy who was as good at getting me into trouble as he was at getting me out of it again; I see the man who sat with me all night, helping me with my studies, or casting healing runes over my injuries; I see the warrior who stood by my side in battles large and small; I see the friend who always knew the right thing to say to heal a heartbreak or a hangover. I see the god who is, without fail, the most important person I will ever know."

Thor swallowed down his emotions. He kept his eyes off his mother, knowing her tears would bring forth his own. Instead he looked at Loki. Loki was staring at him as if he was a stranger speaking a foreign tongue.

"Were it that I could take your pain and your hurt, and ease your mind. But I cannot. And I cannot forgive myself for letting thing get so wrong between us."

Thor turned back to Odin and spoke quietly. "Father, please. When you judge him, remember that you judge us all- our whole family. Demonstrate your wisdom and show him mercy? Or punish me also."

Odin looked upon his son, and seemed to sigh, though his face stayed blankly benevolent. Thor frowned, and slowly walked back to his seat. He sat with a heavy sigh. Steve placed a comforting hand upon the god's shoulder, and exchanged a worried look with Tony and Bruce.

Vili stepped forward on the royal platform, and raised a hand to silence all present.

"We shall break for a meal. This court shall resume in two hours."

The team stayed in their seats, looking around at each other.

"How you holding up?" Steve asked Clint.

"I just wanna get this over and done with. I was all prepped to go up next, now I have to wait two goddamn hours" he said.

"I think everyone needs a break, though. This is all a lot to take in."

Clint just frowned.

"Look, it's almost over. You can get up, get it off your chest. And then the rest is on them."

"I hope they have something really shitty lined up for him as punishment" Clint muttered.

Steve cringed internally. "How do you punish a god, though?"

Across the room, Loki ignored the dark looks he was getting from the Asgardians, the murderous look he was getting from Natasha and the sad eyes of his brother. He sought out Tony's gaze and caught it.

Tony felt a chill, a ripple of déjà vu as he remembered locking eyes with Loki before their vicious confrontation at Stark Towers not all that long ago. But the expression in the god's eyes was completely different; gone was the cocky indignation. Now he looked lost and confused. Tony gave him a questioning look and Loki tore his eyes away.

… … … ...

_Author's notes: Woo, that was a massive chapter, nearly killed me to write it, but it was time to really let Loki loose! Hope you enjoyed reading it, sorry if you now need glasses. _

_A _Thing_ is basically a term used in Scandinavian regions for a formal assembly of free people where legal and political issues were dealt with. The term is still in use today. _

_And yes, Odin's spear has a name. The gods were into naming their stuff. All the stuff. You're going to have you vocabulary expanded a bit in the next few chapters. Sorry._

_Also... if you know anything about Norse mythology, you know that Laufey was actually Loki's mother, not his father. It's a mix-up in the comicverse that kinda annoys me, so my way of redressing the balance is my mentioning both his parents, Laufey and Farbauti. Eh._

_Follow me on Twitter for updates and general silliness: _**Bombshell1701**


	9. Chapter 9

**What Happens In Asgard**

**Chapter Nine**

"You summoned me, your royal _why-ness_?" Tony said.

Loki was staring off into space, and he seemed content to ignore Tony, so Tony continued.

"That was a hell of thing, your speech... rant, really. Thanks for the shout-out, by the way. Very classy. I wish my girlfriend was here to have heard it, she'd have been nodding along."

Loki's eyes came back into focus and he turned his gaze to Tony.

Tony shifted uncomfortably, not because of the intensity of the look Loki had fixed him with, but because of how terrible Loki looked. His already pale skin was deathly white. His hair was tousled like he'd been tearing at it. His eyes were crazed and sunken.

"Tell him to stop defending me" Loki said, his voice rough and hoarse.

Tony gave Loki a questioning look. Loki practically rolled his eyes. "My brothe- Thor." he corrected. "Tell him I don't need his help."

"Tell him yourself." Tony took a few small steps closer to the irate god. "And it seems to me like you need all the help you can get."

"I cannot face him. I cannot face any of them" Loki admitted.

Tony studied him for a moment "Thor told me how you wanted to run off to the Chitauri and let them have at you. I figured that was a line. You know, pretend like you're going to do something heroic, but just cut and run again. That seems like it might be your M.O."

"You do not know anything about my life" Loki said, his voice flat.

"I know you have a family who love you, despite the god-awful things you've done." Tony gave Loki a cold, hard look. "That's something money can't buy, buddy, let me tell you."

Loki turned away and took a few uncertain steps towards a chair. He slumped into it, and gestured for Tony to sit in a chair opposite. Tony sauntered over and sat, not at all appreciating the feeling he was being interviewed. Loki studied him quietly.

"How much of it is love, and how much of it is guilt?"

"Uh, I'd say about an 80-20 split" Tony told him.

A ghost of a smile crossed Loki's face.

"Would you be acting out like this if you hadn't discovered you were adopted?"

"It was inevitable, given that I'm a monster" Loki said sincerely.

Tony rubbed a hand across his face. "And you've been lied to your whole life, yadda yadda ya, yeah, I heard you sing this song already, I know the chorus by heart."

Loki's eyes narrowed.

"Here's a thought for you, though... don't know that you've ever bothered to entertain it... what if Odin _hadn't_ found you and brought you back here and raised you up as his own? What would have happened?"

Loki's mouth pressed into a hard line.

"You would have died?" Tony hazarded. "An abandoned baby, left out in the cold. Yeah. Real nice"

"Then that would have been my fate" Loki said harshly.

"And... what? You're saying you'd rather that have happened? That you wish you'd been left to die? You wish that you hadn't grown up in this beautiful place, with all the nubile serving girls, and the magic, and a big brother who adores you and a mother who dotes on you? You would rather have been thrown out like garbage? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"He lied to me!" Loki suddenly roared, lunging forward; and just as suddenly he shuddered, falling to his knees, and grasping his stomach in agony.

Tony had flinched back in his chair, and he stared at Loki. Slow, he reached forward to help the god up.

"Don't touch me" Loki sighed. He unfolded himself and gingerly climbed back up onto the chair.

"What the hell was that?" Tony demanded.

"The binding my father put in place." he let out a shaky breath. Beads of sweat had appeared on his top lip, and his eyes were glazed again. "It gives sudden and uncontrollable agony when I try to exert my will" he panted.

"Were you trying to do something magicky to me just then?"

"I wanted to summon small knives to throw at you. Just a little warning" Loki said quietly.

"Wow. Thanks" Tony said dryly. He gave Loki a moment to gather himself.

"You know, you just referred to _Odin_ as your _father_" Tony said, smirking. "I thought you guys were only on a first-name basis."

Loki frowned and looked away.

"Did he never love you?" Tony pressed.

Loki's brow furrowed and he fixed Tony with a questioning look.

"Your dad? Did he never make you feel loved? Did he always neglect you, play favourites with Thor?" Tony elaborated. He was starting to feel like a shrink.

"No. I had a fair relationship with him as a child. We didn't spend all that much time with him- he always had his kingly duties to attend to. But praise and punishment were meted out equally to Thor and I by him. He spent time with us both, teaching us about the kingdom, telling us the old stories."

Tony shrugged and nodded. "But your Mom raised you, essentially?"

Loki didn't answer, he just quietly studied Tony for a moment, a smile slowly spreading across his face."

"And so you've come as the friend this time, to trick and fool me" Loki breathed.

"Well... we were gonna try to send Natasha again, but with you being such a sharp guy, we figured you'd be on to us."

Loki chuckled humourlessly.

"This isn't anyone messing with you, Loki" Tony said seriously. "This is me trying to understand... I feel like maybe you and I are two sides of the same coin, and I don't especially like that feeling. So this is where you let me help you, and I feel better about myself."

Loki pondered Tony's words. "_Two sides of the same coin" _he murmured. He repeated the phrase several times, weighing it in his mind. "I don't see it."

"_Daddy issues_" Tony said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Loki raised his eyebrows.

"Okay, so I wasn't stolen-slash-rescued, and I'm an only child so I didn't grow up in the formidable shadow of a charmingly buff and gorgeous older blonde guy... though, actually... I kinda did, but let's not drag Steve into this because technically he wasn't around..."

Loki stared at Tony in open frustration.

"This isn't about being taken... it's not about being lied to. It's about you feeling like you can't live up to your Dad's expectations. You think he was setting you up to fail! And now you're playing the outcast card. Well, this is unpleasantly Shakespearean."

"You are an idiot" Loki snapped.

"No, I'm really not. I _get_ the whole dad thing." Tony said quietly. "I genuinely do... Been there, done that. You know I'm a genius, right? From what I can remember, it became pretty obvious very early on, say, when I was about three years old. Was my Dad impressed? No. Did he take any kind of interest in me? Nurture me? Encourage me? Hell, no. Wasn't a blip on his radar. Did I act out as a result? You bet your armoured ass I did."

Tony shrugged. "My dad didn't care. He just kept working, or drinking, or screwing his secretary, or whatever else was on his agenda." Tony paused for effect. "My Mom, however... she noticed. She tried to fill all the gaps in my life that my father was leaving. She tried to love me twice as hard; but I didn't want it. She played referee every time between me and my Dad. And every time I rejected her, it was like stabbing her in the heart. Of course, I didn't realise that til after she died..." Tony trailed off.

The two considered each other.

"Feel better?" Loki asked archly.

"Somewhat" Tony said self-consciously. "I'm trying to help you.

"Then feel free to stop speaking" Loki sighed.

"What I'm trying to say is... you can't win. So stop trying to punish your dad for everything he did wrong. Sounds to me like just maybe he even did a couple of things right- so think yourself lucky. And stop trying to drag your whole family down with you. You may not think you deserve their love, and to be honest I'm not sure you do either, but they seem to think you do. So give them the benefit of the doubt, will you?"

Tony pushed himself up and walked towards the door.

"Okay, I'm done. I'll send you my bill. Now I'm parched so I'm going to go guzzle a keg of your Asgardian ale and try to convince myself I didn't just play Dr Phil with you."

Tony paused when he got to the door "Oh, and two more things. Stop trying to kill me? And talk to your mom. I'm serious. She needs you."

"I... you..." Loki spluttered, but Tony was out the door before Loki could get a sentence out.

… … … …

"Come in" Clint called.

Tony stepped into Hawkeye's room, but it took him a moment to locate the man, because the agent was on the floor in his bedroom, on the far side of his bed, doing a plank.

"Gimmie a minute" he breathed.

Tony shrugged and wandered around the room. After a full minute the blonde man was still holding the position.

"'The hell, Barton? What's up with the callisthenics? You know we're on vaycay, right?"

"Fat doesn't rest" Clint enunciated. With a sigh he walked his hands and feet together and stood up again. He turned and faced Tony "And also, since we went public, there's an entire _Tumblr_ dedicated to my arms, and I wouldn't want to disappoint my fans."

Tony laughed "There's about seventy-three dedicate to my ass- armoured and otherwise."

"No accounting for taste" Clint shot back with a smile, and wiped his face with a towel. "You need something?"

"Uh, yeah. There's something I want to talk to you about..."

Clint nodded, his expression becoming hard. "You want to speak for Loki at his trial."

Tony looked shifty "Did you become telepathic since we all moved to Asgard?"

"No" Clint shrugged. "Thor told me you've gone to see his brother a couple of times. I figured you must've developed some kind of rapport with the idiot."

Tony sighed. "I guess I have. I'm sorry. Look, Clint- I don't want you to think I'm taking Loki's side, or that I'm belittling what he did to you. Because that must've been..."

Clint gave him an even look, but his eyes were fiery. "You have no idea, Stark" he hissed.

Tony nodded slowly. "Everything Loki did was off the chain. But I guess... I kinda see myself in him just a little-"

"Well, that's kinky. I hope Pepper's into threesomes" Clint slung.

"Hardy har-har, you pervert" Tony grumbled. "But you know what I mean."

"Not really" Clint said, his brow furrowed with annoyance.

Tony paced, trying to put it into words. "I think... that left to my own devices... I could have gone pretty badly wrong. I think that having people in my life, like Pepper, like my buddy Rhodey... they kept me on a better path. They stopped me from becoming a total mess."

"Loki has Thor in his life, and that is guy is the most honest, noble, stupidly loyal guy I've ever met! And Loki still managed to screw up royally. He made his own choices" Clint said angrily.

"It's different when it's family, you know that" Tony said gravely.

Clint's mouth pressed into a thin, angry line, because he knew Tony had a point.

"Look. I thought it only fair to warn you. It's nothing personal. I'll understand if you don't want to speak with me again, or if you think I'm an idiot. But I have to do what I feel is right."

Clint folded his arms and looked out the window. "Fine." He looked back towards Tony. "It's fine, Tony. I don't really get it, I think you have some really misplaced guilt, but do what you need to do."

Tony nodded. "You're not going to try to kill me in my sleep?" he asked, only half joking.

Clint mouth curved into the tiniest of smiles. "It's not me you should be worried about, buddy. When Natasha finds out, she's going to take a knife to your kidneys."

Tony cringed.

"She hates Loki. Worse than I do. She wants to cut him into pieces, very slowly. So just be careful of the company you're keeping."

"I will keep that in mind."

"Oh, and Fury's going to be pissed. You providing comfort and assistance to the enemy and all that" Clint said dryly.

Tony sighed. "Your opinion is the only one I care about here."

"I think I'm the least of your worries" Clint said honestly, giving Tony a very sober look.

_Author's notes: Tony and Loki, a fine bromance? LOL! But now we're peeling back the layers, and we know what Tony's motivation is._

_And I couldn't resist a nod to Tumblr. It's really given us all so much!_

_And just to warn you now- many of the following chapters are MASSIVE, so much to get through, but that's how they turned out, and I can't break them down without interrupting their flow. So I hope you like a good solid read..._


	10. Chapter 10

**What Happens In Asgard**

**Chapter Ten**

Odin struck his spear on the floor three times, and the room fell silent. He looked down towards Clint and nodded. Without a backwards look, Clint stood up and stepped onto the floor. He didn't look around the room, pointedly ignoring the hundreds of Asgardians who were watching him. He didn't glance at his team mates. He just looked up at the All-Father, and addressed the god as though it were only the two of them in the room.

"If somebody put a gun to my head and tried to make me do something against my will, like hurt my colleagues or my friends... well they'd have to shoot me. I mean, I'm just a man, a normal guy, and I don't have the most noble principles; but I know for certain that I would rather make that kind of sacrifice than hurt people who didn't deserve it.

I don't know how you would react in that kind of situation. What if someone put a sword to your throat and told you to kill your best friend? Would you do it to save yourself? I don't think you would.

But... what if you didn't have a choice? What if your free will was taken away, and all of a sudden you're killing people because someone else told you to? And what if you knew what you were doing, but you couldn't stop yourself? If you were trapped inside your own head, and someone else made you into a puppet?

Can you imagine what that would be like? I need to you try to picture it. I need you to imagine someone asking you questions, and you telling them everything. Every secret, every weakness. I need you to imagine a weapon in your hand, pointed at someone you know, and you can't stop what's about to happen.

That's what Loki did to me." he nodded towards the younger god, but did not spare him a look.

"He used... magic, I guess. I don't really know what else to call it. I wasn't me; my thoughts were pushed aside. Loki was inside my head, controlling me. Using me to do his wet work."

Clint turned and pointed to Fury. "I shot that man. Not because I wanted to, but because he was in Loki's way. I've worked with Fury, there, for over twelve years, and I would trust him with my life. But still, I took my weapon from my holster and shot him."

He pointed to Natasha. "I tried to kill her with a knife. She's my best friend, and I was prepared to cut her throat, because Loki said she was my enemy. And I knew what I was doing. While she fought me for her life, I could see her, and I _could not_ stop myself, I couldn't put my knife down. My best friend."

"I remember in perfect detail all of the other people I killed. I put arrows and bullets into guards. I fired explosives at colleagues. I don't know exactly how many people's deaths I was responsible for, and no one will tell me, because they want to protect me from myself. I don't even know how any of them can trust me anymore.

I worry that somehow he's still in here, creeping around, waiting to get me again. Maybe he'll take over at a crucial moment when I'm on an assignment and I'll get everyone killed, or maybe he'll put a knife in my hand in the middle of the night and I'll murder my team-mates in their sleep. I don't know.

To be taken over, used, violated, controlled. I hope no one here ever has to know what it feels like. I can't even describe it properly. I don't feel eloquent enough to convey the true horror of the experience.

All I can do is hope that I got him out. Because I would sooner someone put a bullet to me then ever be compromised like that again."

He nodded curtly to Odin, and then sat back down again amongst his team. Natasha's hand darted out, and she squeezed his wrist, but she didn't look at him. Clint reached over and ran a hand down her leg, squeezing her knee. He looked across the room, and was finally able to meet Loki's eye. The god looked at him blankly.

Thor turned to Clint."That was... very fair" he said quietly. Clint glanced at him, and shrugged.

Odin stepped forward and silenced the assembly.

"Will anyone speak now for Loki?" he asked.

A murmur went through the crowd. No one came forward. Loki kept his expression neutral and stared blankly into the middle distance.

Clint looked over at Tony, giving the man a dark look. "I guess you're up."

Tony sighed. "You sure...?"

"Do what you need to do" Clint said flatly.

Natasha's head whipped around, and she looked narrowly at Tony. Tony stood.

"What are you doing, Stark?" Natasha hissed.

"Saying a few words" Tony said casually.

"For Loki? You CANNOT be serious. Sit your ass down!" Natasha demanded.

"Sorry, Red, I don't take orders from you" Tony said, looking around the room.

"Yeah, but you take orders from me, and I second that emotion. Sit down" Fury growled.

"My decision-making process isn't actually a democracy" Tony said, buttoning his jacket. He glanced at Bruce and Steve. Steve's brow was furrowed with genuine confusion, and Bruce looked wary. He looked up at Frigga, to find she was watching him, a look of confusion on her face.

Thor stood. He placed a gentle hand on Tony's forearm. "Tony, I appreciate your willingness to do this for my family, but it will compromise your relationship with the team" he said gravely.

"Don't worry about it, _He-Man_... what's the expression? _I do what I want_" he smirked.

Thor sighed "You sound just like my brother."

"Yeah... we both do the spoiled brat thing well." He glanced over at Loki, who was watching him with an expression of genuine surprise. Tony glanced up at Frigga again as he stepped forward. Her face shone with gratitude.

Tony took centre-stage and cleared his throat.

"Okay, here's what I know. Loki has screwed up royally- don't pardon the pun."

Odin's brow furrowed slightly. Frigga watched Tony intently.

"I know I'm supposed to stand here and defend him, make him sound like he deserves mercy or something... to be honest, I don't know that he does.

You can't undo the kinds of mistakes this guy has made. He's killed people, a lot of people. He pulled a total mind-job on Agent Barton and others, which is terrifying and unforgivable. He's messed the Earth up pretty permanently... we're gonna work to fix that, but it could go either way.

But here's something to think about... how much did you contribute to this, big boss?" Tony asked Odin directly.

From behind him Tony heard Steve mutter his name in a low, warning tone. He shot a glance back over his shoulder. "It's okay, Cap. This needs to be said aloud."

He turned back to Odin and lifted his chin. "You can't take a baby from another culture- a really different culture from your own- and try to make it into something else. Or lie to it about where it's from. I have no problem with people adopting kids from wherever... but the lying part, trying to assimilate Loki into your culture for your own selfish reasons... that's not cool.

You know, that's happened on Earth a bunch of times throughout history, and I'm here to tell you that all it does is mess people up and damage cultures and destroy souls. It makes hate. And Loki is chock-full of hate." Tony glanced at Loki, the dark god's eyes shone with confusion.

"How did you think this was going to go? Did you think Loki would never find out?. Did you think he was never going to figure out he was different to his family? Or were you going to wait 'til he had kids of his own, and see how they turned out, then maybe break the news to him then?

And you know what else... pitting him against the golden boy- no offence, Thor- you were kinda setting him up to fail, even if you didn't realise it. Did you really think some as independently powerful and magical like Loki was going to be happy playing second fiddle? Did you ever try to teach him how to direct his energies in a truly positive way?

You have made mistake upon mistake. Are you surprised it's turned out like this? Loki has to answer for his actions... but who will make you answer for yours?"

Tony sighed, and turned to stalk back to his seat. He paused and looked at Loki.

"That doesn't excuse anything, by the way Loki; you're still a murderer, and you're dangerous and unstable, and not in the fun kind of ways. I don't honestly know what else to say to you."

Tony sat, and looked up at Frigga, wanting to catch her eye with a reassuring look, but Frigga was busy scrutinising her husband with a cold, distant expression. Tony glanced back down at Loki, but he was observing this wordless exchange between his adoptive parents, a conflicted look upon his face.

"We shall take a short break" Odin called. He somehow managed to avoid his wife's eyes as they bore into him.

… … … ...

_Author's notes: It was hard to figure out what Clint would say in this situation, because I see that character as a typical bloke who doesn't like to talk about his feelings. LOL! So he's really putting it all out there by admitting to his feelings of vulnerability and helplessness. It's an important moment for him, so I hope I got it across okay. And Tony... is Tony, and as always a joy to he makes some very valid points, don't you think?_

_Thanks for reading! I'm really enjoying the feedback I've been getting, and I'm very glad you're enjoying the series thus far. Follow me on Twitter?_ **Bombshell1701**


	11. Chapter 11

**What Happens In Asgard**

**Chapter Eleven **

Frigga stepped into the chamber. She tried to hold herself back, keep her dignity, but as soon as she set eyes upon her youngest, it was all futile. She hurried over to him.

"Oh, my boy" she breathed. She reached out to touch his matted hair, and he flinched away from her. Grief stabbed her heart, but she persevered. She reached for him again. He tensed, but let her touch his cheek. She cradled his face in her hands and stared penetratingly at him.

Loki found that he could not meet her eyes.

"What have we done to you?" she murmured.

Loki was silent.

"When was the last time you ate?" She demanded.

Loki sighed "_Mother_."

Frigga suddenly released him, and stormed to the door. She rattled off a series of instructions to her ladies-in-waiting outside the chamber door, then returned to her son.

"You will have something nourishing to eat, and I've called for a kettle and hot water to be brought in so you can bathe properly."

"I'm not hungry. I don't care" Loki murmured.

"But _I_ care" Frigga said hotly.

Loki's eyes briefly flicked to Frigga's face.

She pulled an empty chair over and sat close to Loki, reaching forward once again to smooth his hair out of his face.

"I not a child" he said irritably, jerking his head away.

Frigga patiently folded her hands in her lap. "Yes you are. You're _my_ child."

She noticed the way his mouth tightened and his eyes hardened when she said this to him. He exhaled angrily out of his nose, but said nothing.

She though he looked exactly like his father- like Odin- when he was trying to keep his anger in check, but she did not dare say this aloud.

"Can I tell you a story, Loki?"

Loki rolled his eyes and said nothing.

"It's an important story, I think, for you to hear; but a difficult one. It will hurt me to tell it, and it will hurt you to worse to hear it."

"What have I to lose?" Loki whispered. His face was so blank with despair that Frigga felt a thrill of terror in her body. She reached over and gently placed her hand on the arm of his chair, not touching him, but bringing herself just a little closer to him.

"I've never spoken of the night your father brought you home to me" she told him.

Loki looked away from her, his face suddenly a mask.

"He'd been gone to the wars for so many months. Every other day we had news from the front, so I knew he was alive and his efforts were succeeding, but I missed him so dreadfully, and I longed to be at his side.

And then finally the truce was made, and Odin returned to his home. He had been badly injured, his eye lost in battle, his face crudely bandaged, blood staining his hair and clothes, but he did not go straight to the healer. He came to find me in my hall.

He was carrying something bundled up in his travelling cloak. When he came down the hall, I could hear squalling coming from the bundle. I knew what he held, but still, when he handed me the bundle, I almost could not believe it.

He handed _you_ to me. As soon as I held you, you stopped crying. And you looked up at me with those beautiful eyes, and the most inscrutable expression I had ever seen... and I loved you.

Right then, and with no doubt or questions, you were my child. Without a single moment of hesitation from your father, you became part of our family.

We decided to announce your arrival at the victory banquet the following week... and it was_ I_ who decided that we would say you were born unto me. I had been cloistered while Odin was away, so no one would have had reason to suspect that I had not really been with child.

We announced your birth, and Asgard had double reason to celebrate. Thor was only just a year old, but he took to you immediately, and loved you with a fierce will. We were complete as a family, and so happy. Everything was perfect."

Loki watched her dispassionately as she spoke, and when she fell quiet he regarded her calmly.

"And you never thought to question my provenance?"

Frigga slowly shook her head. "I assumed you were a refugee from the war, perhaps some poor Midgardian child whose parents had been killed. It mattered not, and I trusted your father."

"So when did you know?" Loki demanded.

"Not for some weeks. I began to notice how cold to the touch you were when I nursed you. I would swaddled you, wrap you in the warmest fleeces, but you never seemed warm enough. It didn't seem to bother you, you never cried in discomfort or seemed sickly. But it began to worry me: I felt I was failing in my care for you. I spoke of my fears to Odin one night, and that's when he told me" she said simply. She was unapologetic.

Loki's chest was heaving with emotion and he scrutinised Frigga's face for any hint of a lie "You must have been disgusted!"

"Disgusted? Why?" Frigga demanded.

"That your beloved husband would bring home such a thing as me, in the guise of a child, and give it to you to love!"

"The guise of a child?" Frigga repeated. "There was no guise. You _were_ a child, Loki. A small, lovely baby."

"No. I was the offspring of monsters. How can you claim to have loved me when you found out?" he cried.

"Because I did love you! Just as I love you still! And I did not care, just as I do not care now! Why do you not believe me?" Frigga cried. She fell to her knees before him. "Why would you doubt this? I have always loved you! You are my son!" she said fiercely.

She reached up and grabbed Loki's face, holding him hard so he couldn't shrug her away, and she looked him in the eye. "I am your mother. You dare insult me by challenging my love for you?"

Loki looked stricken, ashamed. His entire body shook with emotion. He reached up and pressed his hands to Frigga's. She leaned in and touched her forehead to his.

"You were so beautiful. Such a good baby, and so smart. You always had magic in you, and was wondrous to see. Every time I looked upon you all I saw was my very own son. I did not go looking for a monster in you, sweet boy, because I never would have found one" she whispered.

"But Odin did," Loki whispered. "How could he not? He took me from my true family. As much as you've loved me... he never could. "

"Of course he did! He loved you. He still does, but like all men of his ilk he is afraid to show it."

"Untrue. Stop lying for him." Loki said angrily, he tried to pull away, but Frigga clung to him.

"I know why he took me. He told me he wanted to bridge the gap between the Aesir and the Jotun. And so he stole me. He had no right. He had no right!"

"No" Frigga breathed. "That's not..." confusion was in her eyes. "That's not right, Loki. You must understand..."

Loki looked beseechingly at her. "Understand _what_?"

She swallowed hard, tears welling in her eyes. "It will hurt you to hear..."

"Say it" Loki demanded.

She sat back with a sigh and reached up, dragging a hand across her eyes. "Must you really know?"

Loki stared at her, his eyes blazing.

"You were born to Laufey and Farbauti on the eve of Asgard's invasion of Jotunheim" she began hesitantly. "You were tiny, weak, frail: not at all how a giant should be, and they took your birth as an ill-omen. They left you on an alter at the temple to their gods... a sacrifice so that they might buy a more favourable victory."

Loki stared at her.

"Your father found you, and... he could not bear the thought of a child left to die like that. He thought himself to blame, in a way, so he took you."

Loki stared at her, open-mouthed from surprise.

"Laufey mocked him for it. He said that you were cursed, and would bring ill fortune down on Asgard. Said that Odin was weak to pity such a feeble creature. Odin did not care. He knew in his heart that protecting you was the right thing to do. And so he brought you home to us. That is the full story, Loki, I swear on the name of my father that I speak the truth. I am so sorry you had to hear it."

Loki sat back, he covered his mouth with shaking hands, and tears finally fell from his eyes. His whole body shook with shock.

Frigga reached up and pulled him into her arms, and he yielded. She wrapped her arms around him and drew him tightly to her body. He rested his forehead on her shoulder and let her rock him gently as though her was a small child again. Frigga could not remember the last time either of her boys had let her hold them like this.

"I have an idea fixed in my head, of Odin taken me as a hostage. Taking me as a threat, something to hold over Laufey and Farbauti to keep them in line. You could never love a child that you had kidnapped. Why did he not tell me the truth?" Loki asked bitterly.

Frigga gave her son an even look. "Because he knows you, Loki. He knows your mind and your pride. He thought it better you think your were something stolen, than something pitied."

They sat together in heavy silence for a long time, Frigga holding her son, rubbing his back while he trembled.

"I _am_ a monster..."

"Stop saying that"

"But I've done monstrous things."

Frigga considered him for a moment. "Yes, you have. I know you were angry when you left here, Loki... but what happened? After you fell? Where did you go, and what brought you to such darkness? Why did you do such terrible things?"

Loki looked at her, his eyes frightened. "I cannot say. Please, do not make me tell you."

Frigga studied him patiently. "Have I not just trusted you with all my dark truths? Do you think I am not strong enough to hear what you need to say?"

"No."

Frigga let out a slow breath. "Unacceptable."

Loki crawled out of her embrace, and moved to sit on the floor, his back to a wall. He grasped his legs to his chest and stared at the floor, unable to meet her eyes. It was some time before he was able to speak.

"There are worlds that exist in the darkness between the realms- old places that even we do not know of. These are not good places," he laughed humourlessly. "I was not a prince in these worlds. I... saw things... I _did _things... terrible, grotesque things to survive. I had no dignity," he hazarded a look at Frigga; she watched him patiently.

"I will not speak of this to you in detail, please do not ask me." He shook his head. "I was powerless, for the most part. I was taken to the Chitauri homeworld, for somehow they had heard of Asgard, knew of our magic; and my knowledge was of use to them.

I was given a choice, made an offer: continue to suffer in the darkness by their hand, or be given knowledge and power. I was so bitter, so lonely... I'd had time to stew in my own bile, and power sounded _good_. So I was groomed by them as a warrior, a champion. A puppet, really, to their god-king." He shuddered.

"And they used you for their cause."

"I allowed them to. By the time I arrived on Midgard, I was magnificently twisted to their will, with an ill will of my own, too. I was ready to tear everything down with my bare hands. I loved how that felt, to have such a purpose.

And then Thor came along and ruined my schemes. He made me doubt myself, in a way only family could. He pulled the threads and everything began to unravel."

Loki looked over at his mother. "There was a man I killed" he admitted calmly, expecting her to flinch, but she did not. "I killed him in cold blood. I can't remember his name, but he said I would fail because I lacked conviction. He was correct."

"I'm glad you failed" Frigga admitted.

Loki grimaced, the emotion was too much. He put his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking. "So am I" he whispered. He bit his lip as the tears welled in his eyes again. "I hate myself for it. Is this all I am capable of? I have failed again, and now I will have to pay."

Frigga crawled over to him and hugged him again. "You will, Loki. You will be severely punished. I do not know what your father and your uncles will do to you-"

"No" Loki interrupted. "I do not fear what they have in store for me. I will meet that. I fear the vengeance of the Chitauri." Loki pulled away and looked up at his mother. "Laufey was right" he laughed, slightly crazed. "I _will _bring ill fortune upon Asgard. The Chitauri will come. My enemies will seek me out. They will reign down horror and death upon all of Asgard solely to exact vengeance upon me."

"They will have to get through me, first" Frigga said darkly.

"Mor, no" Loki breathed, shaking his head, "Send me away from here. Do not let our realm suffer any more for my evils."

"Never."

"I must be banished for what I have done! It's the only way. My punishment can protect Asgard."

"The Aesir will protect Asgard. You mustn't worry about that. Instead, you must prepare for your judgement."

Loki rested his head upon his mother's shoulder. "I am afraid" he whispered.

"I know. You should be. You must be a prince of Asgard, and admit your wrong-doing, and hold up your head when your fate is dealt to you."

"I will try to be strong, for you."

"And I will try to be strong for you, my darling boy. It is the least I can do to make amends for the wrong we have done you."

"You've done me no wrong. And the wrong that has been done to me cannot be healed. I must find a way to bear it now. I must shoulder this burden alone" Loki said resolutely.

… … … ...

_Author's notes: When I was developing this series, I wondered what would happen if Loki suddenly found his main motivation for being so angry and twisted was no longer valid, and he had to re-think his actions? What sort of emotional position would that put him in? And what if, despite his actions, he found that his family refused to reject him in the way he expected? And add to that someone like Tony Stark coming in to bat for him... So that's what I'm trying to explore here. I hope you like that possibility. Can he ever redeem himself? I guess you'll have to read on and maybe find out!_

_Also, _Mor_ is the Norwegian word for _Mother._ I wanted Loki to use a pet-name for Frigga, and that seemed a reasonable, if not totally accurate, option. And _Aesir_ (pronounced '_eye-sir'_, I believe) = the Asgardian gods._

_Thank you so much for reading!_


	12. Chapter 12

**What Happens In Asgard**

**Chapter Twelve**

"Almost done" Natasha sighed. "Maybe we can go home soon."

"There is to be a banquet tonight, to honour you once more before you return to Midgard" Thor told them.

"Really? Do you think anyone is going to be in a partying mood?" Bruce asked.

"Whatever verdict is handed down will be a cause for celebration" Thor said grimly. "All of Asgard see Loki's actions as a slight upon their good nature; they will be happy for justice to be meted out. The feast will mark the end of this shameful chapter, and signify a new beginning, a unity once again between the citizens of our realm and yours."

"I'll drink to that" Natasha muttered, and Thor gave her a dark look. "After tonight, I may never see my brother again."

Natasha didn't comment, she just held Thor's intense gaze.

"Nat, dial it down" Clint murmured, touching her hand. She sighed and her expression softened, and she looked away, dissatisfied. The team sat down with the rest of the assembly as the elder gods strode in again. Odin stepped forward and looked down at his youngest son.

"Loki, you may speak once again for yourself. Say all that you feel you must say. But remember that you are a prince of Asgard." Odin said ominously.

Loki's calmly stood and stepped forward. He looked around the room again. He stood straight and tall; focused but not proud. The arrogance and anger had gone out of him, replaced but understanding and resolve.

"Many things have been said about me here. Some good, and much bad. Everything is true. The God of Lies, I am called. The God of Mischief. Yes... that is who I am. I am guilty of my terrible crimes, but also, I have been a victim of terrible crimes. I do not know where one stopped and the other began.

My power is great, and so is my rage, but I have directed them in all the wrong places. I do not know if my life could have been shaped any other way. I think I was always destined to be this way. I have made choices, and though those choices have turned out to be ill-conceived, they were my choices alone. And as such, I face these consequences.

I cannot apologise to you for what I've done, because the words would be meaningless to you, and I'm not sure I would even feel them. I will not pretend to be sorry for trying to take what I sincerely wanted. I do regret my methods, they were inelegant and beneath me, and I understand, I suppose, why you took exception to my efforts.

I will not beg for mercy, or offer up any more excuses. All I can do is offer myself up to you for punishment. I believe that whatever punishment you decree will injure you every bit as much as it will harm me. Which, I think, makes us even.

And I hope when this ends, Midgard and her citizens with sigh with relief that justice has been done."

Loki sat down, and folded his hands neatly in his lap.

"Huh" Clint commented, folding his arms. "All the fight's gone out of him."

Natasha glared and shook her head "What, does he think that's going to buy him sympathy or something?"

Steve turned to Tony "What did you say to him? Seriously, I expected three or four hours of ranting... and then he gives up that?"

"Would you prefer ranting?" Bruce asked.

"Not on your life."

"It feels too easy. It's like he's given up" Fury said suspiciously.

"Maybe he has" Tony murmured.

"Not likely" Bruce said darkly.

"Yeah, I'm thinking he's trying to live to fight another day" Fury said. "Cunning son-of-a-"

"He is a person" Thor growled. "He may be your enemy, but he is a living being, and he has feelings, and memories and regrets just as surely as any of you. Did that ever occur to any of you?"

Steve opened his mouth, trying to find words to appease the God of Thunder, but nothing sincere came to his mind. His efforts were interrupted by Odin, calling for everyone's attention.

"This Thing will adjourn while we consider our verdict. You are all at liberty until then, and will be recalled when we are ready."

...

The assembly was recalled after just thirty minutes.

"That was a pretty quick deliberation" Bruce noted.

"Yeah, well, they probably already knew exactly what they want to do to Loki going into this. They just had to make a formal song-and-dance of it" Tony said. As they filed into the hall, Thor broke off from the group, and moved to stand next to his mother.

"That can't be a good sign" Steven murmured.

"I'd say they're expecting the worse" Fury said.

"What do you think they're going to do to Loki? I mean... you can't kill a god, can you?" Steve asked.

"Here's hoping" Natasha said darkly.

Steve frowned at her. She shrugged. "Maybe they can torture him for all of eternity."

Tony joined Steve in the frowning.

Odin stepped forward, and gestured for Loki to stand before him. Loki's face was blank as he stared up at the man who helped raise him.

"Loki, you are here to answer for your crimes. But upon hearing the evidence brought against you, and considering the damage you have caused, it seems that punishing you alone will not be enough."

Odin turned his gaze upon Fury. "Asgard will make reparations to Midgard for the physical damage that was caused. We would also like to provide workers, craftsmen and healers to help with your rebuilding. As for the damage to your culture... that is something I'm afraid that we do not know how to repair. Only time will mend those ills. You have my sincerest apologies."

Fury nodded.

Odin looked at Clint. "My son has harmed you and many others on a very personal level, again this is something we would wish to heal, but cannot. Instead, I offer you a chance to revenge yourself upon him, on behalf of every Midgardian that was harmed.

Clint's brow furrowed, and he shot a questioning look at Natasha. She looked equal measures of shocked and intrigued. Loki had torn his eyes away from Odin and was now looking at Clint with a wary expression on his face.

"Step forward, Clint Barton" Odin commanded.

Clint did as he was bidden. A guard stepped forward and handed him two very familiar objects: a bow and a quiver. Clint took the items, surprised to note that the quiver held only a single arrow. From force of habit he immediately slung the quiver onto his back. Loki's expression shifted from wary to openly uneasy. Up on the platform, Frigga reached for Thor's hand, and gave her eldest son a frightened look.

"Loki. Step forward." Odin barked.

Loki shot an uneasy glance at his father, then squared his shoulders and moved to the floor.

"You may wound him however you think is appropriate" Odin told Clint.

Clint stared at Odin, and then glanced at the beautiful golden bow in his hands. He looked across at Loki, who was standing only about thirty meters from him. Loki was trying to keep his face neutral, but Clint could see the panic growing in his eyes.

Clint held up a hand to Odin. "Just a minute" he said, and then turned and walked over to the team.

"Sir, what the hell should I do?" he asked Fury.

"Take the shot!" Natasha urged.

"I can't just..." Clint trailed off.

"What the hell, Barton? After what he did to you?" Natasha hissed.

"Clint's right. You can't just take a shot at an unarmed man, that's not how we do things" Steve said.

"That would be a cheap shot" Bruce agreed.

"Screw that" Natasha muttered. She stared hotly at Clint.

"Can you just shoot him in the leg?" Tony suggested.

"Shot him in the face. He deserves it" Natasha stated.

"In front of his mother?" Clint asked Natasha. She frowned.

"Thor would never forgive you, and he's one of us. If anything, he deserves better than to have to see that" Steve said gently

"It _could_ start an incident" Fury conceded. "Killing a prince. Even if said prince is as big a pain in the ass as Loki."

"Shoot him in the leg!" Tony reiterated. "It'll hurt him like hell, you save face, Thor doesn't kick your ass" Tony urged. "Win-win-win situation."

Clint considered Tony for a moment.

"That'll teach you to volunteer as Tribute" Tony drawled.

Clint narrowed his eyes at Tony. He turned back to Natasha. "Sorry Nat, but much as I'd kinda like to, I can't just stand there and take a shot at him."

He turned and walked back out onto the floor.

"I can't shoot an unarmed person. That's the kind of thing Loki would do, and I'm better than that" Clint called.

Odin observed Clint for a moment, and then nodded slowly. He looked down at the guard who had furnished Clint with the bow and quiver, and nodded sharply. The guard stepped forth, unsheathed his sword, and presented it to Loki. Loki looked from the sword to the guard to Odin.

"Take the sword, Loki."

Clint could hear Natasha chuckling behind him. "Problem solved."

Tears welled in Frigga's eyes as she watched the spectacle unfold. Thor gripped her hand.

Loki sighed and took the sword. He frowned as he brandish it confidently. The archer and the god faced each other down. Neither moved.

"Shall I attack?" Loki asked "Force you to defend yourself?"

"You already did that" Clint said harshly.

They faced off for several moments, neither moving.

"Shoot me" Loki said calmly.

Clint just stared at him.

"It's all right, Agent Barton. This is how it must be. I understand."

"No. You don't" Clint slung back, still not moving.

Loki closed his eyes an sighed deeply. He threw the sword down and looked at Clint. "I will not fight you, and I will not be goaded or bored into fighting you. So take your shot."

Clint considered him. "Okay. Pick up the sword."

"No."

"C'mon, I wanna see how fast you are. Maybe you can deflect the arrow with the sword. That would be cool to see."

"I'm not playing games with you."

"Pick. Up. The. Sword." Clint growled.

"Fine!" Loki hissed. He strode over to where the sword had fallen, and bent to retrieve it.

Clint pulled the arrow from the quiver, nocked it, and let fly so fast Loki didn't have time to react.

The arrow hit his right buttock as he bent down.

It seemed to take everyone a good few second to realise what had just happened. And then the crown was in an absolute uproar. Some laughed; some grumbled at what they deemed a cheap shot; some were openly angry that the Midgardian hadn't taken a kill shot; some were shocked that an off-worlder would dare injure a prince.

Odin watched impassively, trying very hard to keep a tiny smile off his face.

"Well played, Midgardian" Vili was heard to murmur. Ve shook his head disapprovingly.

Frigga gave a cry of shock, and sprang forward, ready to go to her son's aid. Thor grabbed her by her shoulders and drew her into his arms. "No, mother. He lives. But his judgement is not yet over. You must be still" Thor whispered.

The team all just stared at their cohort.

"You shot him in the butt" Steve muttered resignedly, covering his face with his hands.

"You shot him in the butt?" Bruce demanded, uneasy.

"You shot him in the butt!" Tony exclaimed, a wicked grin on his face.

"You shot him in the butt?" Natasha said, disgusted.

Fury chuckled.

Clint shrugged, and rejoined them.

Loki lay on his side on the ground, an arrow protruding from his backside. He wanted to scream in pain and shock, but he bit the inside of his mouth to save himself the additional humiliation. Terrible darkness clouded his mind, and for a moment he was ready to strip the flesh from Clint's body; but the magical binding seized him, and he writhed on the floor in agony. Fingers of sparkling blackness crept into the edges of his vision and he almost passed out.

He drew in a deep slow breath, and pushed himself up off the floor as much as he could manage. Two guards stepped forward and hauled him to his feet, facing him towards Odin again. He grimaced with pain, and shifted his weight to his left leg.

Cold sweat had broken out across his face, and he swatted at his top lip as he looked up again at Odin. Odin watched him calmly, and gave him a tiny nod. The All-Father then pounded _Gungnir_ on the floor thrice, and the assembly fell silent again.

"Loki... Peace offerings have been made on your behalf, punishment has been taken upon your person, and now you must hear your final judgement. You have committed grotesque crimes against another realm. You have courted war, you have killed, and you have betrayed the faith and trust of everyone.

There is no punishment fit for you. Your uncles and I have discussed it, and we are at a loss for ways to make you atone. We see no way for you to make amends, as you lie and blame and seek to poison and destroy every realm you know.

You must go away from here. You must go to a place where you can do no harm. And thus, you are banished from Asgard, from all the realms, to Niflheim, where you will be bound for eternity."

Loki blinked and looked up at Odin, speechless and expressionless.

Odin held his son's gaze and sighed heavily.

Loki dragged his eyes away and looked up at his mother. Silent tears ran down her face, and she looked at him in deep shock. Thor clutched her, his expression blank as he stared at his brother. Loki was numb.

As satisfied murmur went through the crowd, but the team looked around at each other.

"What the hell is Niflheim?" Tony wondered.

"It must be another realm" Steve suggested.

"Yeah, but look at Frigga's face. It can't be a good place to be" Tony said flatly.

Natasha shrugged. "He'll get what he deserves."

"Must be like the Asgardian equivalent of Siberia" Clint decided.

"Hope the food's worse" Natasha muttered.

Bruce looked around the crowd until he saw the familiar faces of the Warriors Three. He beckoned to them, and they wove their way through the crowd to him, grim-faced to a man.

"What's... Niflheim? This place they're sending Loki?"

The Warriors looked at each other.

"It is a realm of primordial cold" Hogun explained. "One of the places from which all creation sprang... but it is an empty place of ice and bleakness."

"So, what's there? Does anyone live there?" Steve asked.

"No. It is barren of all life" Volstagg said.

"So. No one there for Loki to hurt?" Clint asked.

"No one for him to manipulate into doing his dirty work?" Natasha muttered.

"No one, and nothing at all. He will be stranded, powerless and friendless in the icy cold for all time."

Bruce felt Steve tense next to him. He looked up at the blonde man. Steve was staring at the Warriors.

"In the ice?" Steve asked. Fandrell gave him a curt nod.

"So what will happen to him?" Fury asked.

The warriors looked at each other, no pride or satisfaction in any of their expressions.

"He will go mad, slowly, either from the agony of the biding- which will stop him ever using his magic to escape; or from bleak loneliness. And he will live like that for ever." Hogun answered.

Steve turned to Tony, and they regarded each other with worried expressions. Steve turned to look up at Thor. Thor looked at his brother, a stricken expression on his face. Tony looked at Frigga, she was pale and trembling in Thor's arms. Odin looked out over the crowd as they took in his pronouncement, a guarded look upon his face.

Loki could barely stand, but he was still on his feet on the floor, looking up at his family. The arrow still protruded from his body, and he was bleeding. His mouth was open slightly in a rictus of horrified shock, and his eyes shone with the pain of betrayal. He was deathly white and seemed to tremble.

Steve looked at Tony again, and they shared a look with Bruce.

"This isn't... I _know _what he did, so many terrible things, but this isn't..." Steve said uneasily.

Fury was watching them. "We don't get involved. They wanted Asgardian justice, and Asgardian justice was done. End of story."

"C'mon Nick. Last time Loki got send wandering off by himself in the middle of a supposed nowhere, he managed to raise an army and then popped up on Earth" Tony said. "Remember how well that went?"

"Sounds like Niflheim is a special kind of hell. Not something we need to worry about any more" Natasha weighed in.

"I don't like it" Tony said flatly.

"Not up to us" Clint said.

"You would cast someone out into frozen nothingness?" Steve said.

"Yes" Clint said.

"C'mon Cap, now's not the time to get sentimental" Natasha warned.

Steve shook his head.

"Aren't we better than this?" Bruce said as he looked at Clint.

"Don't you dare put this on me" Clint hissed.

"Everyone deserves a second chance" Steve muttered. He looked at Tony, and saw resolve mirrored in the other man's dark eyes. He looked at Bruce. He looked weary but resolute. He looked at Natasha, but she wouldn't meet his eyes. Clint met his look with a frown. Fury looked like he wanted to roll his eye at the soldier. But none of them tried to stop Steve.

He turned and looked up at Thor. Thor was looking at his team mates, his eyes pleading. Steve nodded, and stepped forward.

Slowly, the assembly noticed Steve moving onto the floor. They began to fall quiet. Odin broke off his conversation with his brothers and looked down at Steve.

"Sir?" Steve called when he had Odin's attention. Odin turned to face him.

Steve took a deep breath, trying to ignore the hundreds of eyes that seemed to bore into him.

"If you strand him in that place, in the ice, he'll never have a way to make amends. He'll never get a second chance. And I... _we_... believe that... maybe even he deserves one. A chance to prove us all wrong."

Loki slowly turned to face Steve. His body was trembling with pain, yet he mustered the strength to fix Steve with a penetrating, almost hostile look. Steve looked calmly at him.

"You owe us, big time" Steve muttered.

"And what would you have me do?" Odin asked.

"Send him to Earth. Let us sort him out" Steve offered.

Odin considered this. "So he can face justice Midgard-style?"

"No. He's had fair judgement here. We'll have to keep his presence on Earth secret. But we'll keep an eye on him, keep him out of trouble. Make him see the errors of his ways, and make him make amends... I don't know how we'll do it... but I promise you we'll make a better man of him."

"Ah, but he is not a man... he is a god" Odin muttered. He considered Steve for a moment, and then broke off to consult with his brothers.

Steve turned self consciously back to the team and shrugged. The team watched the elder gods converse.

"Man, I wish I could read lips right know, know what they're saying" Bruce said.

Clint was watching the gods like a hawk. "Something about _lies_, and _treachery_. _Loki cannot be trusted to behave_. Got that right, buddy" Clint sneered. He continued peering at the gods. "_Send Thor to watch over him_... Something like_ to stop Loki spreading lies and poison... poisonous words. Cut out his tongue. _Ha!"

"Give me a knife. I volunteer to do the honours" Natasha said quietly.

"_Brockar_? _Brokker_..." Clint speculated. "Not sure what that means. _The thread Bokker made_. Odin's agreeing."

They all watched Odin nod curtly, and turn back to face Steve and Loki.

"You say you are willing to give Loki a second chance, but what of your team? Do they all agree to share to this burden?"

Tony stepped forward. "I'll keep an eye on the _Fresh Prince of Asgard_, there."

Bruce shrugged and little "He won't want to make me angry again, so I'm willing to give it a try."

Clint and Natasha looked at each other. "If you say no, I say no" Natasha told her friend.

Clint swallowed. "I don't trust him to be left alone in that place. I know he'll find a way to get out, and we'll regret it. If we keep him close... we can kill him at the first sign of trouble."

Natasha studied Clint silently, and then looked up at Odin. "We'll do it" she said grudgingly.

Clint nodded.

Fury looked well-named. He glared at his entire team. "This is on you, Captain" he growled at Steve. Steve nodded.

"Fine" Fury barked to Odin.

Odin turned and looked at Thor.

"And what say you, Odin-Son? You are a part of this team now, and of all of them, you will have to shoulder this responsibility the most. This will mean leaving your home indefinitely, your family and friends, to live on that strange realm, Midgard."

"I will bear it, father" Thor's voice rang out. "For Loki."

Odin looked down at Loki. "These people are willing to help you. You will live amongst them, and they will show you a better path. Do not violate their trust. Do not hurt them. Do not once again disappoint your family and your realm."

Loki spared a pained glance over his shoulder at the Avengers.

Odin looked out to the Thing. "The banishment of Loki to Niflheim is commuted. Instead... he will continue to be bound by magic, and will be sent to Midgard as powerless as any mere mortal. And as an added measure of insurance to stop him spreading lies and tricks, his mouth will be bound with Brokkr's thread."

Loki's head snapped up to look at Odin, and his eyes went wide.

Thor glanced at his father, and then at his mother, his brow furrowed as though he wasn't sure if he'd heard correctly. Frigga was staring at Odin in open shock.

"What the hell does that mean?" Tony asked, taking in the gods' various reactions.

An uneasy murmur rippled through the crowd.

Bruce turned to the Warriors Three, who all suddenly looked alarmed again. "That mean anything to you?" he asked warily. "Brokkr's thread?"

"It is..." Hogun began, but broke off, trying to formulate an explanation for the outlanders.

"His mouth will be sewn shut" Volstagg offered.

"I'm sorry... what?" Bruce asked.

"You don't mean... needle-and-thread sewn shut?" Steve hazarded.

Volstagg nodded gravely.

"That is possibly the best decision anyone ever made regarding Loki" Natasha said flatly. Clint nodded.

"I don't really understand how that works..." Steve mumbled.

"Brokkr is Dvergar... a dark Elf-" Hogun explained.

"You would know his kind as dwarves" Fandral added.

"He and his family are master craftsmen, renown throughout this realm for their works. Mjollnir, Thor's hammer and many other treasures was made my Brokkr and his brother, at the insistence of Loki. Loki made a bet with them that they could not make such treasures, yet they did; and when Loki lost the bet, Brokkr wanted to cut Loki's head off" Hogun told them.

"I like this Brokkr guy" Clint muttered.

"Loki talked his way out of this punishment, so Brokkr forged a magical thread with which to sew closed Loki's mouth. Well, Loki escaped before it could be done."

"So, I'm guessing Brokkr's not especially Happy; maybe Grumpy, a little Sleepy?" Tony commented.

Fury silenced the genius with a look.

"Did we just save Loki's life, only to drop him into something worse?" Bruce wondered aloud.

"Sounds like" Natasha said with a smirk.

"But... how can they sew his mouth shut. Even these gods need to eat and drink" Steve said, alarmed. "How is he going to do that?"

The Warriors looked at each other, and all shook their heads.

"More to the point; we're taking him back to Earth with us- I think people are going to notice the guy with his _mouth sewn shut_" Tony grumbled. "I think that might draw a little unwanted attention... and seeing as we're going to be doing this on the down-low..."

"Do not ask the All-Father to change his mind again- he has already shown Loki mercy once, he will not repeat the favour" Fandral warned.

The group looked amongst themselves, completely at a loss for what to think about this particular twist.

"Maybe it's just a _metaphysical_ thread. You know, they don't _actually_ sew his mouth shut..." Bruce hazarded.

"No, it's a real thread. They will physically sew his mouth shut" Volstagg offered matter-of-factly.

Tony looked over to the panic-striken face of Loki, and the despairing face of Frigga. "Yep, we done good, kiddies. Real good" he sighed.

… … … …

_Author's notes: The Gods have spoken, and here it is, the judgement of Loki. I had a great time coming up with this, and I'm interested to see what you think of their plans! And thank you for wading through this massive chapter. _

_Now, with all the seriousness, I HAD to put Tony's dwarf joke in there, it was too Stark Snark to pass up. And Clint's revenge... I laughed when I thought it up, and I laughed all the way through writing and editing it. There's clearly something wrong with me. I hope all the Hawkeye fans enjoyed it!_

_Niflheim is the realm of Hel, where she watches over the inglorious dead: Her being Loki's daughter, and her banishment to there by Odin is just too complicated for this piece;so please just think of it in its original form as a place of grim, desolate cold. And more about Brokkr and his thread in a later chapter.. _

_Thank you for reading! I've hit ONE HUNDRED reviews now, which is epic and amazing! Thanks so much to everyone who comments, even if it's anonymously._


	13. Chapter 13

**What Happens In Asgard**

**Chapter Thirteen**

They didn't see Thor again until the celebration banquet that evening. All the Asgardians in attendance were in good spirits- the general feeling was that fair justice had been done, and they could once again consider their realm a place of peace and enlightenment.

Thor greeted each of them as they wandered in to his hall for the banquet, pulling the men to him for a rough hug, and kissing the knuckles of Natasha's right hand. He took Steve, Tony and Bruce aside as the food was being brought in and everyone was distracted by the prospect of their meals.

"I cannot thank you enough" he said gravely, his expression totally humble. "You have taken a great risk to save my brother's life. I will forever be in your debt, and I swear that Loki will make amends."

"Yeah... about that" Bruce mentioned "What the hell are we going to do with him?"

"I'm way ahead of you, Doc... two words- _cabana boy_" Tony told them.

Bruce looked reasonably appalled, Steve and Thor, confused.

"No, don't like that one?" Tony muttered to Bruce.

"He will need to be kept busy and engaged to keep him out of trouble" Thor warned them.

"That's not a big surprise" Steve muttered.

"We'll put him to work. Somehow" Bruce assured the god of thunder.

Thor nodded and sighed with relief. He surveyed the room, an easy expression finally upon his face, and then turned back to the men before him. "My friends, you are the guests of honour, and I will not keep you from the feast any longer. Please, enjoy this night; though it is your last on Asgard, we all have much to celebrate, and celebrations on Asgard are the best in the realm!"

"I will drink to that" Tony agreed.

They broke off and walked towards the tables, and Thor took Steve by the elbow, guiding the soldier to sit with him.

"Tell me, friend Steven; have you ever engaged in an eating competition?"

"I don't believe so."

"What about a drinking competition?"

Steve laughed. "I was in the Army... so that's an affirmative."

Thor clapped the other big blonde man on the back. "Tonight shall be a glorious battle of wits, and appetites!"

"I am just a little hungry and thirsty" Steve said slyly.

...

"You are an astoundingly good shot" Odin said conversationally.

"Uh. Thanks" Clint said politely.

"I was always intrigued by archery when I was younger, but I never had the patience to much succeed at it. I was always better with close range weapons: sword, spear, axe."

"What about now? Did you ever develop the patience?"

Odin considered the question for a moment. "Almost" he answered with a tiny smile.

Clint chuckled. "That bow is pretty magnificent" Clint said casually.

"It is yours to keep"

It was Clint's turn to smirk. "Thanks. I was going to accidentally forget to give it back."

Odin chuckled very lightly.

"You are a brave man" Odin said after a pause.

"Brave? Stupid maybe."

"No... brave, and smart. That you are willing to suffer unease to see things through until the end."

Clint thought about that for a moment. "There's a saying on Earth- _keep your friends close, and your enemies closer_."

Odin's mouth quirked into an approving expression. "Those are very wise words."

"Is that why you "adopted" Loki?" Clint asked.

Odin tensed beside him, and for a moment Clint thought he might be in trouble.

"No" Odin said firmly. "I understand that is what everyone thinks. But the truth is... I so enjoyed having a son, that having two sons seemed ideal" he sighed.

"Sorry. You don't have to explain yourself to me. Or anyone. Except maybe Loki."

Odin's face became inscrutable again. "I know."

Odin turned to Clint and bowed very deeply. Clint stood awkwardly watching this, and then returned the bow.

"You are always welcome in Asgard" Odin said formally, and then swept off.

Clint watched him go. "I need a drink" he said soberly.

...

Tony drained his cup and was just about to call for another, when he noticed Frigga walking towards him. She still looked troubled, but her cares did not sit so heavily in her expression.

Tony stood. "Your Highness" he murmured, inclining his head to her. She reached forward and took his hands in hers, and squeezed them gently. "You are a friend to this family. I am forever in your debt, and will watch over you for the rest of your days. If ever you are in need-"

"You don't owe me anything" Tony said gently. "Loki isn't the only one who got a second chance here."

Frigga studied him, sadness shining in her eyes. She leaned forward and briskly kissed him on both cheeks.

"Please guide my sons as best you can" she murmured.

Tony tried not to look uncomfortable "I'm probably not the best guy for that sort of thing... but I'll give it a red-hot go."

"Loki admires you- though he would never admit it- because you are so wonderfully flawed."

"Uh... wow, thanks"

Frigga laughed lightly. "I mean that in the best possible way."

"_Sure_ you did" Tony drawled, teasing. Frigga giggled again.

"What I meant was... he needs less perfection in his life. He needs to experience weakness and vulnerability and not see them as glaring flaws, but something he must learn to accept with grace. It is only then that he will heal, and grow. I think you understand these things."

Tony nodded slowly. "Sounds like lessons I've learned the hard way myself."

Frigga gave him a sad smile.

"You can come visit any time, you know, if you ever need a break from... this" he gestured to the magnificent gleaming palace around them. "We've got a dirty, crowded city that I'm sure you'll love."

"I will look in upon my sons from time to time, and their adopted family. And I would very much like to see your armoured suit some time."

Tony smiled at her. "Yeah, you know the way to a man's heart."

...

The eating competition had ended in a tie, and both Steve and Thor sat back in their chairs looking as though they might honestly burst.

Steve had totally lost track of everything they'd eaten- it was all one big, greasy blur, and just thinking about it was making him queasy. He felt like he could easily go another seventy years without eating again.

There was an amused commotion heading towards them, and they both lifted their blonde heads to see what was going on. All either of them could see were two enormous wooden casks with legs tottering towards them. Suddenly both casks were hefted onto the banquet table, and Volstagg and Fandrell stepped out from behind them.

Volstagg gestured merrily to the casks. "Fresh and abundant ale for the drinking competition!"

Thor and Steve groaned, and slumped back in their seats.

"We don't have to chug the entire cask in one go, right? We just refill as needed?"

Hogun handed them each a goblet roughly the size of a bucket, smirking as he did, and Steve nearly sighed with relief.

"So it's whoever can drain the keg first?" Steve asked.

"No, friend Rogers, these are just the first of many- it is whomever stays conscious the longest!" Thor told him with a grin.

Steve's eyes went wide. "Oh, no, that's not a good idea. I don't like to drink to excess like that- it's unhealthy, and it sets a bad example."

"No one here would think you are setting a bad example, trust me" Thor confided.

Steve still looked chagrined. He looked around, Fury was nowhere in sight.

"It's just that... I'm team leader, if something happens... if there's an emergency."

"Steve, you are in Asgard. Take the evening off to enjoy yourself. There is much more to life than duty." Thor leaned forward and gripped the blonde man's shoulder. "Tony was right, I _have_ been remiss in my hosting efforts."

"Oh, no... I'm not getting drunk just to make Tony happy!"

"Then get drunk to make _me_ happy!" Thor said with an infectious grin.

Steve drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm gonna stop when I feel funny... but you'll probably already be on the floor long before that..."

Thor's eyes narrowed. He filled Steve's enormous cup, and then his own, and raised it.

"Skål!" he cried.

Steve shrugged and took his first mouthful of the delicious ale.

…

As Thor slammed down cup after cup of ale, Steve paced himself. Still, by the end of the second keg he was starting to feel a little fuzzy around the edges. Thor had become louder and more robust than usual, and was keeping the crowd that had gathered around them amused by making increasingly elaborate and bizarre toasts every time he refilled his vessel.

Steve had noticed amongst the crowd sever pretty dames- _goddess_ he reminded himself. There was one with long golden hair sitting quite close to him. Steve was trying not to stare at her, but the more he drank the harder that was. Next to her was the statuesque beauty Sif, whom he'd met the other night. On the other bench was a goddess with red-gold hair, she was nibbling on an apple and watching him with a smile.

He really felt like he should make conversation with them instead of just staring... they were looking at him like they wanted to talk to him... but...

Maybe it was a trick. Some sort of sneaky Asgardian way to make him lose the drinking competition? Would Thor do that?

Steve had heard of this sort of thing during the war- pretty dames sent in to gather intelligence from an enemy, because no one suspected a dame; and all she had to do was get her mark to start drinking, loosen his tongue, maybe encourage him in other ways... Steve blushed.

Those sorts of women were called_ Honey-pots_, Steve remembered.

_Loose lips sink ships_.

Well, that was not going to work on him... and oh god- Christian god, and Norse god, he was_ drunk_.

He remembered what that felt like. And oh, all the gods, the blonde goddess was moving closer to him on the bench. Her timing was... terrifying.

"I am called Freyja, Njordr's daughter. I am from the Vanir, but I call Asgard my home."

Steve stared at her for a moment. Then he thrust his hand forward. "Captain Steven Rogers, I'm from Brooklyn, but I live in Manhattan."

Freyja looked confused at this, but smiled prettily, and reached to touch Steve's outstretched hand. He gently shook her hand and she looked even more baffled. Steve stopped the gesture abruptly, and instead drew her hand forward and planted a soft kiss on her knuckles, as he'd seen Thor do to Natasha. Freyja laughed lightly.

"You have been the subject of much conversation amongst the goddesses. We all find it hard to believe that you are a mortal from Midgard: you look as though you should be a fine warrior of Asgard" she told him.

"Uh... thank you?" Steve said. It sounded like a compliment.

"We also think you must have a brave and noble heart to take on such a burden as Loki" she said. Her eyes seemed to flash when she said the God of Mischief's name, and it was clear she wasn't a fan.

"Well... we're all going to keep an eye on him. The whole team."

"But they're none of them as strong-looking as you" Freyja said, concerned. "And your warrior woman-"

"Natasha" Steve added.

"If he turns his charms on Natasha, tries to seduce her to his will-"

"Please. Loki's charms only work on the most empty-headed females. And male horses." Sif chimed, moving down the bench to join them. "Natasha of Midgard looks like she can take care of herself."

"She certainly can" Steve assured them.

"Loki can talk and finesse, but he does not have Thor's natural charm" Sif said, and then frowned when she looked over at the God of Thunder. He had a beer moustache, and a drunken, stupid grin on his face. He held his cup aloft "Keep drinking!" he yelled at Steve.

"You were saying?" Freyja asked with a smile. Sif smirked and shook her head.

Both goddesses turned back to Steve, and he busied himself by taking a long draught of his drink, to hide his blushing cheeks. He ended up emptying the cup, and looked sadly at.

"Here, I will refill your drinking vessel" said a sweet voice to his left. He looked up to find the goddess with the red-gold hair he'd noticed before, reaching for his cup. She chuckled lightly as she prised it from his grasp, and Steve realised how hard he'd been gripping the flagon.

"This is our sister, Idunn, keeper of the apples of youth" Freyja said, introducing the young woman.

"Sisters? You'll all related?" Steve asked obtusely.

"We are not of the same parents, no, but we are all part of this large family. We think of each other as kin" Idunn explained, and she filled the enormous cup, and then carefully handed it back to Steve.

"Are you of a large family?" Freyja asked.

"Well... I guess The Avengers are kind of my family now, so yeah. But my folks died when I was a kid, and the closest person I had to a brother, well, he died a long time ago..."

"Ah, yes. Thor has told us your strange story, of how a Midgardian healer used magic to make you into a mighty soldier for your country, and how you helped defeat a terrible menace until you became trapped in a frozen land for many years."

Steve pondered Sif's description of his life story, and decided Thor had got it mostly right. Mostly.

He nodded earnestly and took a swig of his ale.

"I would hate to be stranded in an icy land" Freyja said with a shudder.

"Well, I was unconscious the whole time, so I wasn't aware of it" Steve explained.

"You must be a strong and healthy warrior to survive such an ordeal" Idunn chimed in. "And selfless, indeed, to vouch for that villain Loki, so he would not face a similar fate."

Steve didn't know what to say to any of that, so he took a drink.

"I cannot believe, that after all Loki has done, that Thor would still protect him. Think of all the trouble Loki has caused that Thor has had to mend" Freyja grumbled.

"Loki has mended his fair share of Thor's ills" Sif said grudgingly.

"At least _Thor_ never tried to marry me off to a giant. _Twice_"! Freyja complained. "I will never forgive Loki for those schemes."

Steve looked scandalised.

"At least Loki did not cut all your hair off while you were asleep" Sif stated sourly.

Steve peered at Sif's long, lovely hair in puzzlement.

"He tricked me into going outside the wall, and then stole my apples" Idunn chimed in. "It could have spelled doom for us all!"

Them other goddesses nodded and murmured agreement.

"Ha!" Steve cried. "I've got you all beat! Loki tried to kill me!"

The three goddesses looked at him, startled.

"Yep. He did. On my first day back at work, I had to fight him. And he had this weird stick-thing that he kept trying to hit me with" Steve babbled, painfully aware of how drunk he really was. "He fights like a crazy cat" he finished lamely.

The three goddesses looked at him, all at a loss for what to say to that. They turned back to each other.

"Well, what about the method Loki used to make Skadi laugh? I thought the Frigga would perish of embarrassment to see her son put on such a display!" Idunn said conversationally. And with that, the goddesses put their heads together to gossip about Loki.

Steve sighed and took a swig of his ale. Even after buckets of _Asgardian Courage_ he couldn't make decent conversation with pretty ladies...

… … …

Chapter to be continued... :)

… … …

_Author's notes: Oh, Steve! He's so adorkably hopeless! And like Steve, I do not endorse binge drinking, especially when it makes you babble like an idiot to people who are clearly trying to flirt with you! _

_If you've never read any Norse mythology, everything the Goddesses refer to is based on stories about Loki and his antics. You really should read the story of how he makes Skadi the giantess laugh, it's hilarious and ridiculous!_

"_Skål" means_ cheers_ in Norwegian. Not Asgardian, but eh._

_And are we maybe starting to see a bit more warmth from Odin? _

_The post-banquet scenes continue next chapter, I just split it up because of length. Please enjoy!_

_And... special shout out to my Norse-mythology loving friend Ian, whose lady, Jane just gave birth to their third son. I've been trying to help them pick a name for the new one... their other two sons? Odin and Loki. I'm not kidding! For some reason they don't want to call the bub Thor..._


	14. Chapter 14

**What happens In Asgard**

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Please note: This chapter is getting slapped with an M rating, for salty language and adult themes_

Clint and Natasha waited until Odin and Frigga had left the banquet, and then began making their own farewells for the night.

They left Thor and Steve downing vast quantities of ale. As tempting as it was to wait and see if The Captain really could get loaded and if Thor could possibly get louder, they were both ready to turn in.

As they left the hall they noticed Bruce, Tony and Fury being regaled with tales of adventure by the The Warriors Three. The Warriors all stood and bowed their heads to Clint and Natasha as they passed. Clint and Nat returned the gesture and smiled at the other men.

They walked through the hallways in companionable silence, but once they were in the privacy of Natasha's suite, she turned on Clint.

"What the hell, Barton?" she asked harshly.

Clint shrugged. "What?"

"_Loki deserves a second chance_?" she asked scornfully. "That's the kind of shit I expect from Captain-Goodie-Two-Shoes-America, or Stark, because he's a douche-bag in so many exotic ways, or Bruce, because he's guilt personified... but you? What were you thinking? They were about to make him go away, probably pretty permanently, and you suddenly decide to grow a conscious?"

"It's like a told you" Clint sighed. "Loki didn't stay in exile once, I doubt he was going to put up with it a second time. He starts going extra-batshit-crazy, breaks out of there, what do you think happens next? That's a whole mess of trouble I don't need in my life again."

"Newsflash, dumbass. You're- _we're_ all going to be babysitting him. How exactly is _that _not a whole mess of trouble in your life?" She slung.

"Because this time we're actually a team, and we know we can handle him. The numbers are on our side. And I want him where I can see him. He so much as looks like he's REM-cycle _dreaming_ of starting something and I cut his throat. And you hold him down while I do it."

Natasha hissed out a frustrated breath. She shrugged of her jacket and kicked off her shoes, and looked expectantly at Clint."

"I'm not in the mood to tussle, Nat" he sighed.

"Yeah? Well I am. So get ready."

Clint rolled his eyes at her and shucked his jacket and then kicked off his own shoes. They moved into the sitting room and suddenly she was on him.

Clint grabbed the ankle of the leg that was suddenly wrapped around his waist, twisting the joint, trying to cause enough discomfort to dislodge Natasha.

She dropped backwards into a handstand, using the momentum to jerk him forward. He landed on his outstretched hands and rolled gracefully over his shoulder, free of her, popping rapidly back up onto his feet.

She was on him again straight away.

She grabbed and ducked, using his momentum against him whenever possible. Clint stayed fluid, rolling with her, using her limbs as leverage to whip out of her grasp.

It was almost a dance; Natasha was equal parts ballerina and crocodile, Clint folded and twisted like a reed. They were equally matched, strength and weight versus agility and flexibility. The decider would be fatigue.

They kept on at full tilt for twenty minute.

Clint was sweating and breathing hard; he'd had enough. He gave. Natasha flipped him onto the floor. He landed hard on his back, and stayed down. Natasha jumped in, pinning him to the floor with one knee on his sternum and the other to his groin.

She balanced lightly over him, hardly exerting any pressure, ready to flip backwards off him to safety if he was playing a ruse. She, too, was panting, her skin and eyes glowed with exertion. She knew she had him beat.

Suddenly she pivoted and was straddling his hips, and she leaned. The kiss was hard and unexpected. Clint tensed, and reached up to push her away, but she kissed him furiously.

With one hand she braced herself over him. He other hand grabbed one of his, pressing it back onto the floor. Clint gave in to the kiss. Her mouth was warm and soft, but her tongue was as wicked and fast as the rest of her.

It felt so good, and _god_, it had been so long since he'd been close to anyone like this. He heard himself moan into her mouth, felt her mouth pull into a smile as she kissed him.

He reached up with his free hand, and pressed it between her shoulder blades, pulling her body towards his. She shifted and let him take some of her weight, and he freed the hand she was pinning, encircling her waist with both his arms, caressing her back. The kiss continued for some time. She slid her hands under the hem of his shirt, her touch so soft that it almost tickled, and he laughed lightly as his stomach muscle tensed involuntarily at the caress.

He pulled her closer, pressing her breasts to his chest, slipping one hand down her body to cup her ass. She half-purred, half-growled against his neck. He felt so _safe_ there with Natasha in his arms.

She sat back with a gasp, and reached up, pulling off her shirt. He blinked away his surprise. He'd seen Natasha in her bra before, on missions when she'd needed to do a quick-change, or in the locker room after training. This context was different, and it shocked him back into reality.

_This is Natasha_... _your best friend_... he told himself harshly.

She reached down and roughly pushed at his shirt, trying to strip it off him.

"Nat, what?" he tried to say.

She jerk the shirt over his head and tossed it aside, then reached down to run her hands greedily over his well-muscled chest. She reached for his belt and started to unhook it, and he grabbed her hands.

"What are you doing?" he muttered.

"Expediting your nudity" Natasha said distractedly.

Clint stared up at her, speechless. Slowly she looked up to meet his eye.

"We really gonna do this?" Clint asked.

"Damn right" she muttered. She tried at his belt again, but he held fast to her hands.

"Stop and think for a sec..." he breathed.

Natasha considered him. "I _think_ both of us could really do with getting laid right about now" she stated flatly.

Clint blinked, and tried to clear his lust-addled brain. "You're okay with ruining a perfectly good friendship?"

"Doesn't have to ruin anything, Barton. We're grown-ups, we can handle it."

"All the years it took us to build these layers of trust and understanding, and we end up as what? Fuck-buddies? That's so clichéd."

"It's comfort, and relief. Is that so wrong?" she asked honestly.

"It's our friendship on the line. I don't think either of us need to get laid _that_ badly."

"Speak for yourself" she said sourly. "It's been a while. For both of us."

Clint nodded. "It has, but you're throwing your cat at me for the wrong reasons, all we'd be doing is acting out our frustrations, and I'm not prepared to risk screwing up our friendship to do that."

"Nothing wrong with acting out" Natasha murmured.

Clint reached up and stroked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Acting on the wrong feelings is as bad as not acting at all. To be honest, I don't want to get laid by anyone right now. It's too complicated, I feel too... vulnerable" he admitted, embarrassed.

Natasha raised and eyebrow. "...And you're joking, right?"

Clint sighed and shook his head. "All I really want... is just to be _held_. Just... held close. Like everything is going to be okay." He closed his eyes and scrunched up his face in embarrassment, unable to meet Natasha's eyes.

She didn't say anything, and after a minute he hazarded a look at her, expecting a scornful frown or mocking smile. Her mouth was pursed, a kind, yet teasing expression on her face. She cupped a palm to his cheek, and her expression shifted to one of understanding.

"Don't you dare ever tell anyone I said that" he whispered.

"Bitch, I'm Facebooking this shit the second we're back on Earth" she teased.

Clint narrowed his eyes, then stuck his tongue out at her. She giggled. He reached up and touched her face. Then he gave her a gentle slap.

"Hey!" she cried in protest.

"Get up" he asked nicely.

Natasha huffed, and popped off his hips to sit next to him on the floor. Clint pushed himself up into a seated position.

"Just so we're clear, it was only going to be a pity fuck" Natasha admitted.

Clint laughed "You always know the right thing to say... to crush and destroy a man's delicate ego" he said sweetly.

Natasha chuckled. They sat for a moment in comfortable silence.

"So. Pyjama party?" Natasha asked.

Clint smiled. "Sounds good."

Ten minutes later, she tapped on his door. She'd bathed and brushed her teeth, and was wearing a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt, her hair pulled back into a simple pony tail. Fresh faced and relaxed, she could have been a normal young woman from anywhere.

Clint had washed up, too, and changed into pyjama bottoms and a tank top. He looked young and honest and tired.

He moved around the chamber, extinguishing the lamps, and finally, in the low light from the moon, he and Natasha climbed into his big bed.

He settled on his right side, and Natasha snuggled in against him, the side of her face resting against his back. She tucked her right arm to her chest and rested her left arm across Clint's body, her hand gently on his chest. Clint reached up with his right arm, and pressed his hand against hers.

He drifted off to a sound sleep within minutes. Natasha followed soon after.

…

"So, let me see if I've got this right..." Fury said slowly. "Loki got a bridal veil and wedding dress... and dressed _Thor_ up in it..." he pointed across the room to the God of Thunder. "And they went to Giant-Land, and that giant Thrym thought Thor was _Freyja_..." he gestured to Freyja, who was sitting near Thor, watching the drinking competition.

"Yes. That is exactly how it happened" Fandrell affirmed.

Tony guffawed with laughter.

"Do giants have poor eyesight or something? I mean..." Fury looked hard at Thor and Freyja. "I know they're both tall and blonde, but seriously?"

"Thor must be twice as broad across the shoulders as Freyja" Bruce added, his brow furrowing.

"The giant Thrym's excitement must have gotten the better of his eyesight" Volstagg said with a grin.

Tony laughed and slapped his thigh. "He must've been one horny giant to miss that."

"Well, if you saw what giant women look like, you could understand the mistake" Hogun said wisely.

Fury chuckled at the thought of that.

"So then what happened?" Bruce asked, encouraging Fandral to continue.

"Well, at the conclusion of the wedding feast, Thrym produced the hammer Mjollnir, and lay it in Freyja/Thor's lap..."

"Wait!" Tony cried. "Did you just say he _pulled out his hammer_ and _gave it_ to Thor?"

Volstagg and Fandrall laughed uproariously, while Hogun, Fury and Bruce looked at each other and shook their heads at Tony's filthy pun.

"Well, not quite like that, though I'm sure it was just a matter of time!" Fandral said, winking. "And then, well! Thor threw off his disguise, took up Mjollnir, and then it was _his _turn to give the hammer to the giant!"

Tony laughed so hard at the unintended pun that he nearly fell backwards off the bench.

"No, no, no!" Fandrall cried, scandalised. "I did not meant it like that!'

"_Sure_" Tony drawled.

Volstagg laughed. "Fandrall, you are a terrible storyteller! Next time let me tell it. I know how to use a pun"

Tony was still shaking with laughter. "Okay. Okay, all this talk of people getting _hammered_ is making me thirsty. Let's get a refill, and then you can dish the dirt to us on Loki. I need a few good stories filed away for blackmail material."

"Ah, and we can certainly furnish you with some" Hogun said, a smirk on his face.

…

Steve wracked his brain to remember the expression. "My back teeth are floating!" he finally yelled. He was greeted with a roar of approving laughter from the crowd, and grinned shyly.

Thor barked out a laugh and slapped him on the back. "You could go relieve yourself, but if you break the seal, you know the game is lost."

Steve groaned. He put his head on the table before him for a moment, and was glad that the room didn't start spinning. "I'm done" he conceded.

A cry of protest went up in the crowd.

"I'm sorry!" Steve cried, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "You guys don't realise how drunk I am! And it's been a really long time since I got drunk!"

"You have put up a valiant struggle, friend Steven, and for that, I salute you!" Thor said, finishing his cup in one draught. He raised the empty vessel over his head in a victory gesture.

Steve rolled his eyes. Thor thumped him hard on the back and laughed.

Steve swayed to his feet. Once he had space in his body again, he was going to drink a very large bucket of water, and track down Bruce for some Advil, just in case.

Steve felt so much better after he'd visited the bathroom. He hardly felt drunk any more, and he wondered if it was his super-metabolism, or some sort of magical property of the ale.

The Asgardians seemed clever enough to brew a drink that would make you happy, but not make you suffer too much. He was still swaying and suddenly felt quite tired. He stood at the entrance to the hall, trying to remember where his room was. Okay, so maybe he was still loaded...

"Has all the drink befuddled your excellent mind?" Thor called, staggering up behind him. The God of Thunder was certainly intoxicated.

"Yep. I'm lost" Steve admitted.

Thor laughed: at least he was a good-natured drunk.

"I will lead you, you hopeless mortal!" Thor said. He led Steve through the hallways, swaying drunkenly, but obviously certain of where they were going. He clapped a hand onto Steve's shoulder, and drew the man into a side-on hug.

"I saw you making conversation with the ladies" Thor said.

"Oh. Yeah" Steve muttered, his face burning red.

"Did you take a particular liking to any of them?"

"They were all... great. Lovely. But I don't think they liked me..."

"Nonsense! You are a tremendous warrior; tall and well turned-out. Your manners are courtly and your speech honest. You would make a fine husband. What lady would not desire you?"

"Please, please can we not have this conversation?" Steve asked, and Thor laughed again.

"I will find you an Asgardian wife, if you wish it. You would father excellent children with one of our woman."

Oh, geez" Steve sighed, covering his face with his hands. Thor laughed again, this time so hard he tripped over his own feet, landing in a heap on the ground, which only served to make him laugh harder.

His reaction made Steve laugh, and he leaned forward, offering the god a hand up. Thor reached up, but instead of hauling himself up, he managed to topple Steve to the ground.

Loud laughter rang out from both of them as they lay side by side on the ground.

From down the hallway came the sound of footsteps. A man stopped before them, and looked down at them, he was trying to appear disapproving, but couldn't quite keep the smile off his face.

"Disturbing the peace!" he cried.

"Always, Forseti. You know me!" Thor laughed.

"I see you have a new accomplice" Forseti said, giving Steve a disapproving look.

"He is from Midgard, he cannot hold his drink" Thor goaded.

"Hey!" Steve protested.

"You are from _Asgard_, and _you_ cannot hold your drink." Forseti scolded. Thor laughed uproariously at this.

"Come, stand. You are making such noise you will bother the whole kingdom!" Forseti hissed.

"I am having too much fun to listen to you, old man!" Thor grouched.

"I do not know what you have to celebrate, Thor, Your brother was exiled today for terrible crimes" Forseti said, frowning.

"I celebrate because my brother has been spared a terrible punishment, and given a second chance, and this happened because my friends are true." Thor explained.

"Fair enough. But you still cannot go roaming through the palace making such commotion." Forseti hauled Steve to his feet, and then managed to get Thor standing again. Thor swayed dizzily, and Steve steadied him.

"This will not do! What would your parents say?" Forseti scolded. "Away with you to lock-up!"

"I am not drunk!" Thor protested. "You will not lock me up for the evening and ruin my good time!"

"Wait. What?" Steve asked.

"Both of you. With me now. You can sleep it off in a cell. That will teach you to celebrate more carefully!" Forseti was clearly enjoying himself. Thor looked exasperated; Steve horrified.

"You're sending us to the drunk tank?" Steve cried. "C'mon, I'm not even drunk any more!" That was reasonably correct- the prospect of being taken into custody had sobered him right up.

Forseti gestured for him to come along.

"I've never been arrested before! This is... so embarrassing! Thor- promise me you won't tell any of the others. Especially not Tony. I'll never live it down" Steve said, distraught.

Thor slapped Steve's face in a good-natured way "Do not be ashamed! If I had a ruby for every time I was incarcerated for drunkenness, I could... make something with many rubies..." Thor trailed off uncertainly.

"Loki was frequently me cell-mate. He can handle his liquor quite well, but he was never a match for me. And often the Warriors Three would be in the cell next to us. Why, on more than one occasion the Lady Sif could be found in a cell of her own!" Thor explained proudly.

"Not helping" Steve huffed.

Forseti led them to the lock-up. There were dozens of cells, several of them occupied with other drunks and a few men who looked like scoundrels of one sort or another. Forseti took them to the far end of the facility, and put them in a cell together, making a show of locking the door firmly behind them.

Steve looked around the simple room, aghast. There was a thin mattress and threadbare blanket on a shelf, and a covered bucket for a toilet in the corner. The rest of the room was plain.

"You take the mattress, I can rest on the floor" Thor offered.

"It's okay, I probably won't sleep, you may as well take the more comfortable option."

"I insist" Thor said firmly. "It is I who has led you astray. I apologise. I will never speak of this to any of our team mates if you do not wish it."

"Thanks" Steve sighed.

Thor settled on the ground, and Steve tossed the god the blanket.

Forseti returned a few moments later with two flasks.

"Drink this water, both of you. And get some rest. I'll release you in a few hours if you sober up enough" he said kindly.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Forseti" Thor said, smirking.

Forseti shook his head and rolled his eyes.

Steve handed one of the flasks to Thor.

"To fast sobriety" Steve said by way of a toast. Thor grinned, and they both chugged the water.

… … … …

_Author's notes: What's that roaring sound? Could be all the Black/Hawk 'shippers baying for my blood for being such a tease?! I just really wanted to push the boundaries of their friendship, but ultimately I wanted it to be about them both needing comfort, but that comfort _not_ having to be sex. I thought it would be cool for Clint to recognise the difference, and Nat to be open to helping him however she could. But I stand by my position of them being epically platonic in their friendship. And thank you to _NCB1_ who let me bounce this idea off her. Oh, and 'throw your cat' at someone... I don't have to explain that, right? It might only be an Australian expression, thanks to the local teens. Feel free to add it to your personal lexicon of inappropriate comments._

Forseti_ is the Norse god of justice. I was trying to work him into the trial, but I just ended up going with Odin and his brothers, as to make a council of three. _

_Thor and Steve as drinking buddies? In the drunk tank? Too funny to pass up. And can Thor hand out a compliment, or what?! _

_And Thor in drag- I didn't make that up. Again, it's from Norse mythology. Hammer metaphors ahoy!_

_Be warned, the next chapter is massive, and it's also a bit squeamy._

_Follow me on Twitter! _**Bombshell1701**


	15. Chapter 15

**What Happens In Asgard**

**Chapter Fifteen**

_Warning: This chapter is rated M as it contains descriptions of surgical torture that some readers may find disturbing_.

.

Frigga sat quietly with her youngest son. He would not let her hold him, and forbade her to weep.

So she sat next to him as he lay on his uninjured side on a chaise lounge, gently holding his hand, which he seemed to welcome. He constantly looked to be on the verge of speaking, but no words came.

The door of the tower prison thumped open, and Odin stepped in. He nodded to his wife, and slowly she stood, leaning in to press a kiss to Loki's forehead before sweeping from the room.

Odin stepped closer to Loki.

"Brokkr has arrived" he announced.

Loki nodded.

Odin studied him carefully. "You aren't going to try to talk you way out of it?"

Loki looked up and returned the appraising look. "You sound disappointed."

Odin shrugged "Perhaps I am."

He stepped closer. Loki sighed and gestured for the All-Father to sit. Odin did so, and looked again at his troubled son. "Your mother told you the full truth, then." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, she did" Loki answered.

Odin nodded. "I should have told you myself, many years ago."

Loki gave him a piercing look "Yes, you certainly should have" he said sharply.

Odin looked evenly at Loki "You look very much like your mother when you're insulted."

Loki opened his mouth to correct Odin- to point out that there could really be no physical similarity between himself and Frigga, but the words died on his tongue.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment" he managed finally.

"And well you should, she is a fearsome woman when she wants to be. As you well know."

Loki managed a tiny but genuine smile.

Odin was quiet for a moment "Do you think it would have made any difference, ultimately?"

Loki thought on this. "Probably not" he admitted honestly.

Odin raised an eyebrow.

It was Loki's turn to shrug. "There has always been something in my nature... a darkness. Whether it's the Jotun blood, I cannot say. But I doubt this life could have kept me... happy."

They were silent for several minutes.

"Would you believe me if I told you I was sorry?" Odin asked.

Loki laughed, lightly and humourlessly. "I do believe you are sorry, to a point. Though which aspects you are sorry for, I could not say."

"I am a King, Loki. I am not used to having to apologise, nor explain my choices."

Loki looked at him with an icy cold expression. "I rarely needed you in my life as a king, but I constantly needed you as a father."

Odin bravely met Loki's eyes. "And that is where I have failed the most."

Loki looked away. They fell into uncomfortable silence again.

Finally Odin said "I do not know if you will ever be permitted back into Asgard. You must make what you can of your exile! Do not harm the people of Midgard, they struggle as it is. Loki- you may not believe it, but there are many times I have been proud of you. Make this a chance for me to be proud of you again" he asked.

Loki considered him. "I promise nothing."

"Then at the very least, do not harm the people who have volunteered to help you."

"How this goes will ultimately be up to them" Loki stated.

"Then it will run well: they are good people. They will remind you of the goodness in your heart."

Loki had nothing to say to this.

… … … ….

Bruce had been in a reasonably sound sleep until a firm and insistent knocking on the door woke him.

He pulled on a t-shirt as he padded over to the door, to find Thor waiting for him. The god looked worse for wear from his drinking game escapade with the Captain, but his eyes were sharp and deeply worried.

"I need to speak with you, and Tony and Steve. Please dress quickly and meet me in my hall shortly."

"All right" Bruce said gently.

He moved back into his room, stopping in the bathroom to splash water in his face and brush his teeth, and then he hastily dressed.

…

Tony padded through the low light towards _Bilskirner_, Thor's hall, and met up with Steve along the way. Steve had buttoned his shirt unevenly, and was hastily trying to correct his mistake.

"We didn't interrupt you or anything?" Tony asked slyly.

"What?" Steve asked, distracted.

"Aren't those the clothes you were wearing yesterday? It's okay, Cap, you're a grown man. No harm in admitting you weren't sleeping in your own bed."

Steve looked at Tony like he was crazy. "Of course I was in my own bed! Whose bed do you think I was sharing?"

Tony shrugged nonchalantly. "You looked pretty cosy with those goddess babes last night. Maybe someone got lucky."

Steve looked appalled "I only just met Sif, Freyja and Idunn last night, Tony! As if I'm going to...be _intimate_... with someone I just met. Shame on you!"

Tony chuckled.

"And besides, they're _goddesses_!"

"_Yes_!" Tony said enthusiastically. "You really have a problem with that?"

Steve looked uncomfortable. "I'm a monotheistic kinda guy" he said airily.

Tony was just about to laugh at Steve when they entered _Bilskirnir_. The look upon Thor's face, and the fact that Frigga was also present, looking pale and grave, killed Tony's urge to laugh.

"What's happened?" Tony asked.

"Brokkr has arrived. The binding of Loki's mouth will take place shortly" Thor apprised them.

Tony, Steve and Bruce looked around at each other.

"What can we do to help?" Steve asked.

Thor darted a glance at his mother. She seemed unable to speak.

"Will you help me hold him?" Thor asked quietly. "I believe it will take all of us to still him- the more he struggles, the worse it will be."

Steve nodded, "of course."

Tony looked uneasy, but reached a hand towards Frigga, taking her hand in a comforting grasp. "Anything to help" he murmured.

Bruce nodded, understanding, but his face betrayed his uncertainty. "I don't want to sound like a coward... but I don't think that's the best place for me to be..."

Thor considered him. "I know, and I am sorry for asking this of you... but... I am concerned that Loki will lash out from pain or fear- even unconsciously. If that were to occur, I am not sure that even my father's magic would contain his panic, and so I may be no match. You may be the only one of us who could stop him..."

"Oh" Bruce breathed. He swallowed nervously. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"You're the only one of us he's actually afraid of" Tony told the scientist.

"Bruce, if you don't feel like you can be in the room, no one is going to make you be there, but if you can stay close by?" Steve suggested.

"I trust you" Thor murmured.

"All right" Bruce agreed.

… … … ...

Thor and Frigga led the mortals into the prison tower. Loki was seated, looking pale but surprisingly petulant, rather than afraid. Odin was also present, as was the Goddess Eir, and a very odd man who looked extremely pleased with himself. He was introduced as Brokkr.

What could be seen of his skin was deathly pale and mottled slightly grey, making him look as though he were cast out of marble, not flesh. He had an astounding beard, bushy and jet black, and matching eyebrows.

It was impossible to say what age he was. As Tony moved into the room he noticed the odd, earthy scent the man gave off, like fresh tilled earth and wet leaves. He stood roughly the same height as Tony and Bruce.

"I thought he was supposed to be a dwarf" Tony said quietly to Thor.

Thor looked confused. "He _is_ a dwarf."

"Huh" Tony intoned, turning to get a good look at Brokkr. Brokkr happily took the opportunity to look right back at Tony.

"You have Dvergar blood?" Brokkr asked. His voice was rough and low, like pieces of slate being rubbed together. Tony managed to not startle.

"Scots, actually. But very close" Tony told him.

Brokkr laughed; it was not a pleasant sound. As Steve came into the room Brokkr looked up at him, intrigued. "He's a big one. From Midgard? Sure he's not one of yours" he asked Odin, giving the All-Father a sly wink. Odin frowned and said nothing. Steve looked like he didn't quite know what to think.

Gods and goddesses and mortals alike stood around, not knowing what to do or say.

"Righty" Brokkr sighed. "Let's get on with it."

He reached into his pocket and took out a small bobbin, and something that looked disturbingly like a fish hook. He brandished them at Loki. "Yes, you'll remember _Vartari_."

Loki swallowed, and tried to keep his face neutral.

Brokkr turned to Odin. "Best if he lies down, be easier to sew straight."

"Oh, wow" Bruce whispered.

"Loki? You must lie down" Odin said. He gestured to the narrow bed at the side of the room.

Thor nodded to Steve, and the two of them pulled the bed away from the wall, into the middle of the room. Loki looked at it apprehensively for a moment, and then limped determinedly to it, and sat down. He let out a breath as he lay down, and fidgeted into a comfortable position, all the time putting on a brave face.

Frigga and Odin knelt at the head of the bed. Frigga reached up and stroked Loki's hair back from his face.

Thor knelt to one side of Loki's chest, with Tony opposite him. Steve knelt at Loki's legs, with Bruce across the bed. They all leaned in, ready to bare down on Loki. Eir hovered close by. She had lit green and white candles on a nearby table, and held a small vial in her hand.

"Well, now" Brokkr said casually, as he threaded the hook needle "If you've got something to say, better to spit it out, for now's the last chance."

All eyes were on Loki, and he tilted his head backwards to look up at Frigga.

"I will not cry out" he told her.

"It is all right if you do" Frigga whispered.

"No."

"My brave boy" Frigga said. She kissed his cheek.

"Brother" Thor said suddenly. "I love you."

"I know, Thor" Loki sighed. He suddenly looked so tired, but the petulant glint hadn't quite gone from his eye.

He looked up at Brokkr. "Well? Get on with it. Have your fun" he said with such casual malice that Brokkr's smug grin faltered just a little.

The Dvergr stepped over and knelt down by Loki's head. The thread in his hand glinted under the candle light, and as he reached in to begin his work, the men came to realise that the thread was made of some kind of metal. Tony shot an uncomfortable look at Bruce, but Bruce was staring intently at Loki's knees and frowning deeply.

Loki drew in a breath and pressed his lips together as Brokkr reached across and steadily inserted the needle into the corner of Loki's mouth. Loki pushed a shuddering breath out of his nose, his whole body tensing at the sensation of his face being pierced with the iron needle. His family and the men around him pressed down, holding him in place.

"Hurts?" Brokkr asked.

Loki glared up at him.

"It's going to get worse the more I stitch" Brokkr added with barely concealed glee.

"Dvergr, perform your task without bragging" Odin said in a steely voice.

Brokkr shrugged and pushed the needle in again.

The dwarf took his time, but true to his word, Loki did not cry out. He jumped every single time the needle was inserted into his flesh and the metal thread pulled taut. He tensed and twitched on the bed, every tendon stretched tight as he struggled to hold himself still and not give into the pain.

He struggled to breathe just through his nose, and his chest heaved. Beads of sweat bloomed and ran down his face, and a silent tear leaked from the corner of one eye, only to be brushed away by Frigga before anyone else could see.

Blood flowed freely from the needle holes, running down Loki's chin and cheeks. Every few minutes the goddess Eir would step in and gently wipe the blood from Loki's face.

The agony was obvious to everyone, and they all suffered just to watch.

"This thread was forged with you in mind, you see" Brokkr said, breaking the tense silence. "When you made that bet and weaselled out of it, I made it especially to sew your mouth closed and spare the realms from any more of your lies.

The thread knows you are its enemy, and that's why the pain continues and does not diminish" he explained in a distracted, conversational way.

"That is enough" Frigga said in a low, menacing tone. Brokkr looked up, surprised to see how everyone was glowering at him. He returned his concentration to the binding.

Steve had seen some truly horrible things during the war, so watching someone get their mouth sewn shut didn't bother him as much as it did everyone else. He kept his focus, looking around at his team mates and the gods, watching to make sure everyone could handle being in the room.

Bruce was still keeping his eyes averted, but he looked calm, and his breathing was steady. Steve felt a surge of admiration for the scientist, and was glad to have him along.

Tony looked angry and sickened in equal measures. He'd risked several glances up at the procedure, but had quickly diverted his eyes each time. He seemed to feel Steve's eyes on him, and looked up, nodding his reassurance at the Capt.

Thor watched the sewing unflinchingly, his face set into a grim mask. Occasionally his eyes would flick up to the Brokkr's face, and Steve had a feeling the god was imagining taking his hammer to the dwarf's head.

Odin and Frigga both looked stern and calm, and Steve felt a rush of sympathy for them. Behind them, the goddess Eir stood quietly observing, a look of thinly veiled disgust for the proceedings on her face.

Loki continued to writhe in pain, and Steve gave the god's knee a comforting pat. Loki's leg stiffened and jerked suddenly, as though he was trying to to kick at Steve.

Steve shook his head, almost smiling. He might be being held down and tortured, but Loki still had some fight left in him.

Brokkr tied off the end of the sewing, and muttered a word in a strange tongue. With a twang, the excess of the metal thread broke neatly. Brokkr put the bobbin and needle back in his pocket, stood and stretched.

"Well, my sewing's not as good as my metalworking, but I wager that will hold for a very, very long time." He looked down to admire his handiwork. "Yes, I much prefer him like this."

"Leave" Frigga commanded, still looking down at her youngest son. Brokkr looked affronted.

"Brokkr, son of Ivaldi, you have performed your duty well. Go in peace" Odin said diplomatically.

Brokkr bowed deeply to the king.

Odin nodded to a pair of guards, and they ushered Brokkr from the room.

"Goddess Eir, quickly, the vial" Frigga said, and Eir moved to her. She unstopped the tiny bottle and poured the liquid on Loki's mouth. The bleeding stopped immediately. Loki moaned with relief.

Frigga looked up at the mortals. "It is a balm to soothe the wound. It will not stop the pain, but it will ease the bleeding" she explained.

"There are few herbs or potions that could remedy an injury such as this" Eir murmured, leaning in to examine Brokkr's work. She frowned.

"Do you wish to sit up?" Thor asked Loki quietly. Loki nodded. Thor helped Loki into a sitting position. The fallen god was unnaturally pale and clammy. Dark circle beneath his eyes looked like bruises. The contrast of his pallor with the metallic stitching over his bloodied mouth was grotesque.

"You bore that very well" Frigga said.

Loki sat forward, resting his head in his hands. He was clearly exhausted and still in terrible pain.

"Can you breath okay?" Bruce asked.

Loki nodded weakly.

Bruce sighed and looked at Eir. "Do you have any idea how we're going to look after him? He can't eat or drink like this. And communicating is going to be a problem..."

"I believe the binding will not work the same when you are on Midgard. Here, it is simply to stop Loki's mouth so he cannot speak at all. When you return to your realm I suspect he will be able to open his mouth, eat and drink as normal, but he will be rendered completely mute." Eir hazarded.

"As for how he will communicate? He will have to adapt."

"Wow, Natasha is going to love this" Bruce muttered.

Loki rolled his eyes.

"Well, we just have to hope for the best, I guess. I hope you don't get thirsty between now and when we get back to Earth, because I don't know what we're going to do" Steve said quietly.

Loki sighed with frustration, trying desperately hard to not look as vulnerable as he felt.

… … … ...

_To be concluded_

… … … …

_Author's notes: Hmm... I already know some readers are going to HATE this, and that's okay. This is where I decided to go with it. It's fan fiction. And the concept is taken directly from Norse mythology, so I'm not totally to blame!_

_Now, I know that in Norse mythology _Vartari_ (the fabric used to sew Loki's mouth shut) was a piece of leather, but the idea of using metal thread/wire instead was far more interesting and horrifying, and also it made sense for a famed blacksmith to use something like that. So pardon my re-writing of that aspect. _

_There's no real agreement by scholars as to whether dark-elves (_Svartalf_) and dwarves (_Dvargar_) are one and the same, but it seems likely. _

_Also, it seems that originally 'dwarves' were depicted as being the same size as the Aesir, but when they started cropping up in other Germanic mythologies they started being depicted as the tiny things we know them as now._

_And here's some more information: _

Glossary

Dvergr_- a dwarf_

Dvergar_- the plural (dwarves)_

Eir_- the Norse goddess of healing, in German neo-paganism the colours white and green are associated with her._

Bilskirnir_- Thor's hall. The Norse loved naming things, including inanimate objects and places. All their halls had names. Odin had three, one of which was Valhalla and Frigga's was named Fensalir._

Vartari_- the (leather) material Brokkr used to sew Loki's mouth closed, according to the Poetic Edda._


	16. Chapter 16

**What Happens In Asgard**

**Chapter Sixteen**

The procession from the citadel back to the Bifrost portal was considerably more sombre than the arrival parade. It seemed to have sunk in to the Asgardians that they were losing both their princes- one in disgrace, and one as a champion to another realm they knew little of.

Odin rode at the front of the procession on his extraordinary eight-legged horse Sleipnir, the sight of which had given all the mortal pause, and caused Steve's mouth to drop open.

"Does that... does that horse really have eight legs? Am I seeing things?" he whispered when Odin had first ridden out of the royal stables.

"Eight legged horse? Where?" Tony asked, pretending nothing was amiss. Steve was just about to point at Sleipner, when he realised Tony was teasing him. He huffed. "I suppose you own two or three back home."

"I own horses, sure, but eight-legged ones? That's way too many feet to keep track of" Tony said casually.

Thor and Frigga rode behind Odin, and between them was Loki. Thor had spent a private morning with his parents, and as a family they collected Loki from his prison.

Loki looked pained and tired, and he was shacked at the wrists and had to be helped up onto his mount. Despite the discomfort from Clint's arrow from the previous day, he still managed to look more at ease riding than Steve or Bruce. They had been provided with the two most placid horses in all of Asgard, and they plodded along towards the rear of the group.

Clint, Natasha, Tony and even Fury looked calm and confident astride their fine mounts. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three made up the rest of the retinue.

Children cheered as Thor passed them, and Thor received the attention modestly, smiling and nodding to them.

The adults look sad or concerned, though some smiled kindly at the out-worlders. Some looked at Loki with pity or open dislike, and then their eyes widened at the sight of his sewn mouth. Some continued to stare, some looked away with shame in their eyes.

Loki pointedly ignored them. Instead he looked up at the city as they passed through it, and out to the mountains and sea. He knew it might be the very last time he looked upon the place where he'd grown up; his home.

He could not keep the sadness off his face. Thor saw his expression and understood, and it made his heart heavy. He knew there was nothing he could say that would put his brother at ease.

They arrived at the Bifrost portal, where Heimdall was keeping his watch as always.

"So you take the traitor Loki with you to Midgard" he affirmed.

"That's the plan" Tony told him.

"I will turn my eye on him whenever I can, for though he is bound by Asgardian and Dvergar magic, he is still not to be trusted."

Loki's eye narrowed at the gatekeeper. Heimdall studied Loki impassively.

"You are in safe hands, Loki, Son of Laufey. Remember it" Heimdall told him.

The group entered the chamber, and began saying their goodbyes.

Bruce was slapped on the back and subjected to much forearm gripping by The Warriors Three, who had appointed him their unofficial Fourth Warrior.

"I hope one day to fight alongside you" Hogun told him. Fandral and Volstagg nodded enthusiastically.

Bruce was about to say that he sincerely hoped they'd never have to meet in battle, but change his mind. "It would be glorious" he told them.

Clint, Natasha and Fury made polite goodbyes to Odin and Frigga. "You have our sympathies, and our thanks" Odin told them.

Fandrall, who had barely said two words to Natasha the entire time she was there, was suddenly before her, bowing and kissing her knuckles. "Fair lady, I hope we meet again" he told her.

She looked openly baffled and tried to not roll her eyes.

"_Fair lady_" Clint muttered, teasing her "Clearly he's never tried to take a punch from you."

Frigga pulled Tony to her and kissed him on each cheek. "You have my thanks," she murmured. "Please take care of my sons."

Tony broke protocol and pulled her into his arms, hugging her hard. "You know I'll try."

She chuckled and hugged him right back. Next to them, Odin raised an eyebrow.

"Aw, please don't smite me" Tony said to him.

Thor grinned and shook his head, and Loki simply looked baffled.

Frigga broke off from the hug, and moved to her eldest son.

The rest of the group suddenly became fascinated by the interior design of the Bifrost portal, and moved away to allow the family their last goodbyes.

"Do not weep, Mother" Thor murmured, allowing himself to be pulled into a desperate hug. "We shall soon meet again."

Frigga managed a brave smile. She stepped back, one arm still around Thor's waist, and summoned Loki to her. Hesitantly he went to her, and she drew him to her with her free arm. She hugged both her sons, and they leaned in, pressing their foreheads to hers.

"Please behave yourselves. Heimdall will be watching you, and he will be reporting back to me" she said firmly.

Thor grudgingly agreed, and Loki grunted.

"I will miss you both so desperately" she admitting, her voice wavering. Thor hugged her again, extra tight, and then stepped back.

Frigga folded Loki into her embrace and just held him. She could feel him trembling slightly. He rested his head on her shoulder.

"You will be safe" she whispered to him. "You will suffer in some ways, but you will be cared for by good people. Let them guide you. Do not be provoked into anger,or violence; I know you are better than that, Loki. Find your way back to us."

She felt him nod as she pressed a kiss to his cheek and let him go.

Odin stepped forward and clasped his eldest son's forearms.

"Be well. Remember your duties" Odin told him. "You will learn much on Midgard, but what you retain of the experience is your choice."

Thor nodded. Odin stepped over to Loki. He held a hand over Loki's shackles and uttered an incantation. The shackles sprang open, and Odin removed them.

Odin reached out and took Loki's forearms. "I would give you the same advice as I just gave your brother. But I would also ask you to remember that you were found once by a loving family: it can be so again, but it is up to you..."

Loki looked warily at Odin, and then gave him a curt nod.

Odin sighed inwardly, knowing that was the best he could expect.

Odin stepped up to the platform and inserted _Gungnir _into the device. The chamber began to spin faster and faster, and the effect was dizzying. Frigga and Odin stepped back, and the Avengers and Fury, plus one, stood ready.

"Go safely, Avengers. And remember that you always have friends in Asgard" Odin called.

The bright white channel of energy built and focused, something like electricity seemed to crackle around and through them, the whirring noise built to a crescendo, and they were embraced by the rainbow light again.

This time the sensation was like controlled falling, slow motion, blinding and beautiful. With a sound like a whip-crack they were deposited firmly back on red, patterned earth in the middle of nowhere.

They were all disoriented for several moments. The horizon stretched on forever around them, and the sky was twilight, but none of them knew if it was dawn or dusk.

They looked around at each other as they recovered, checking that they had all arrived and in one piece. Slowly, they all turned to look at Loki.

The thread from his mouth seemed to have vanished.

Loki reached up and experimentally touched his mouth. He grimaced with discomfort, but was able to open it slightly. He gingerly touched his lips, opening his mouth more with a slight wince, and seemed smugly surprised.

"Brother, are you well?" Thor asked.

Loki turned, and opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He flinched and looked puzzled for a second, and then tried to speak again, only to remain silent. He frowned and sighed.

Bruce moved over to him. "Open up."

Loki looked like he wanted to disagree, but slowly opened his mouth. Bruce reached up to hold Loki's chin, and Loki swayed backwards, a mix of suspicion and princely offence on his face. Bruce fixed him with such an authoritative look that he quickly relented, leaning forward again. Bruce steadied Loki's chin, and Loki opened his mouth so that the doctor could see inside.

"Wider" Bruce ordered.

Loki gaped at him hissing with some discomfort, and Bruce peered inside.

"Say _Ah_" Bruce asked.

"_Ahh_" Loki managed, the sound issuing from far back in his throat. He looked surprised.

"Everything looks fine in there. Say _Tay Tee Taa Toe Too_" Bruce instructed.

A scowl flicked across Loki's face, and then tried to repeat the sounds. His mouth formed the words, but once again no sound came out.

"Well. It looks like Eir's suspicions were correct. You should be able to use your mouth for eating and drinking, but you're probably almost completely mute. I can run some more tests once we get back to the lab" Bruce offered.

Loki tried to speak again, caught himself, and broke off, frustrated.

"We'll have to get you a slate and some chalk" Natasha drawled. Loki glared at her.

"So now what?" Steve asked, looking around them. The sky was slowly getting lighter, it was dawn, and they all wondered how long they'd been away.

"Cavalry's on it's way to pick us up and take us back to the airport" Fury told them.

"Be good to get home" Tony sighed.

"Yeah... but there's just the small matter of what the hell we're going to do with Loki" Clint said flatly. "We never actually discussed it."

"His presence stay between us. We're all clear on that, right?" Fury said darkly.

"What happens in Asgard is supposed to _stay_ in Asgard," Natasha muttered, eyeing Loki. "Fail."

"We'll come up with a back story for him. He'll have to go through an orientation program for living on Earth, Thor, too. As to what we'll do then... I'm open to suggestions" Fury told them.

Thor nodded.

"Looks like our ride's here" Tony said. In the distance clouds of dust were being kicked up by several approaching cars.

While everyone watched the approaching vehicles, Natasha turned and walked casually towards Loki, checking him hard with her shoulder as she passed. He made a quiet _oof_ as he doubled over. She stopped next to him.

"You better play nice, Loki. All it takes is one word to the World Security Council, and you go into a hole and never come out. Are we clear?" she said in a dangerously low voice.

Loki had straightened up again. He met her eyes and just smirked.

… … … …

Frigga watched them depart, and her eyes were dry. She stood in silence for a moment as the Bifrost device slowed. Odin stepped up to the platform and retrieved _Gugnir_, and then returned to her side.

Silently, she followed her husband from the Bifrost portal. An attendant held her horse's bridle so she could mount for the ride back to the palace.

"I wish to walk" she said lightly.

Odin studied her. "Then I shall walk also. Unless you prefer solitude?"

Frigga shook her head no.

The attendant nodded, and led both horses away.

Lady Sif and the Warriors Three bowed deeply to their king and queen.

"You have once again proved yourselves good and reliable friends" Odin noted. He and Frigga bowed, dismissing their company.

Odin reached out his hand, and Frigga took it. Hand in hand they walked much of the way back in silence. Finally Odin turned to his wife.

"You see the futures of all men... and you are bound to never speak of what you see..." he began.

Frigga nodded.

"Yet... can you tell me any of what you have seen for our sons?" Odin asked casually, unable to hide the hope in his voice from his wife.

Frigga sighed gently. "Loki's future is clouded, I cannot see it clearly. But from what I can see of it...I have seen trouble."

Odin closed his eyes, sighed and nodded slowly. "I fear trouble will follow Loki wherever he goes."

Frigga shook her head. "The trouble is not Loki's alone, and he may not been the cause. I see trouble for them all. But also... I see adventure. And love. And sacrifice..."

_**The End...**_

… … … …

_Author's notes: So many gorgeous reviews. So many times favoured. SO many readers!Thank you to everyone who read, and an especially big thank you to everyone who took a minute to leave feedback. Even when you didn't especially like where I was going, you were all still constructive and respectful. I appreciate it so deeply. As you know, I never make any money from this sort of thing, so feedback really makes it worthwhile._

_Now... I set up a lot of different ideas, and I certainly will be continuing Loki's mute adventures on Midgard! (How's that for a title? LOL!) At this stage I don't know what I'll create, but I doubt it will be another big series like this; probably more like a mini-series or two, some stand-alones and a bunch of drabbles, all interconnecting. I'm about to go in to hospital for a few days, so hopefully I'll be able to get started once I'm back home and recovering. Please follow me on Twitter _**Bombshell1701**_, I'll be able to keep you apprised of what I'm up to!_

_Thanks again so much for sticking with me. This is probably the most ambitious series I've done, and I enjoyed presenting it to you._

Bibliography

_I grew up reading a lot of the mythology, but these were my go-to books for fact-checking:_

_*Oxford World's Classics edition of The Poetic Edda, translation by Carolyne Larrington._

_*Penguin Classics edition of The Prose Edda, Snorri Sturluson, translation by Jesse Byock._

_*Norse Mythology by John Lindow._


End file.
